Predator: Conflict of Interest
by Darwin
Summary: Gui'Yata is a Predator selected to hunt the blue and green planet, called Earth by the natives. The hunt is anything but typical, and Gui' finds himself questioning his people's code of honor. Complete
1. Gui'Yata

Predator is the property of 20th Century Fox

Predator is the property of 20th Century Fox. Courtney and all the other characters are mine. This is my interpretation of what Predator life is all about and what happens when a human is forced to live as they do. This was begun over thirteen years ago… so it is not exactly the best grammar in the world, I have done little or no editing of it. I hope that you enjoy it. It is set as is told about four rotations (Approximately six years) after the end of Predator two…

Prologue: Gui'yata

Gui'yata lay in his bunk, feeling the dark close about him, listening to the rhythmic breathing of his room companion. He stared up at the rack above him, seeing the blurry image of the Souas body, his temperature told Gui'Yata that he was sleeping restfully. He snorted quietly, that was something that eluded him this sleep period.

He swung himself into a sitting position and stood up. He silently made his way to the door, looking back as the door slid open, allowing the pale light from the hall to enter. Sayka slept soundly, not waken by the stirring of his roommate.

He stepped into the corridor and made his way quietly, much too excited to sleep. The light in the wall followed his movement making an eerie silhouette out of his features. So, Quarta knew he was up, then again Quarta always did. Sometimes Gui'Yata wondered just how many functions the ship could perform at one moment. But, that was not the thought that plagued him now.

He walked up the slight incline in the floor and came out of the corridor into the central chamber, watching as the methane gas swirled before his eyes, seeming to cool the temperature of the objects beyond. This was the heart of the ship, a perfectly circular chamber set tangent to the ships entrance, positioned over the main drive section. The corridors all originated here, moving out from here like spokes. Those nearest the exit led down to the lower levels, where Taura quarters were located, as well as the training rooms, the soyasa, the dining room, and for the rare occasions when it was needed, the aft war-room. Those furthest from the entrance led to navigation rooms, the "bridge", and the library. The bridge was just a formality, Quarta was in full command of everything that went on, the bridge was used for conferring on destination plans, and course plotting. Most of the passages in between led to three man quarters, that were assigned to the Fausi aboard. Most of them were now empty, all but a very few had made Taura during this voyage, and they had moved downstairs to the privacy of single occupant quarters. There were none aboard this trip that were lower than Fausi.

Gui'Yata stopped at a section of the broken circular wall that dominated the center of the main chamber, waiting as Quarta increased circulation to the area, resulting in a brighter light. The light, however, was not necessary for a creature that saw heat. The wall slid silently apart to reveal a trophy case, and Gui'Yata stood a little straighter. His eyes took in the whole case quickly for he knew its contents well, his eyes came to rest instead on a symbol that dominated each section of trophy wall. It was the mark of the home world, with twin suns in perfect alignment of winter solstice... Soona.

His impressions of that world were vague, heavily forested, dangerous, treacherous for a Soua of less than two years. He had only traditional pride for the planet, kept alive by reinforced teachings about its greatness. 

Since his second year, his life had been devoted to the pack, this pack, they were his only family. He was now fifteen rotations, (approximately twenty-one years on Earth), and was about to embark on the most important hunt, at least to him, the hunt for the status as Taura. He dearly wanted the title, wishing to be free of the tedious instructions, and restrictions placed on a Fausi. He understood the need for it, it was required to properly discipline the young. But he was more than ready to move on.

He was the youngest among this pack, chosen at an extremely early age for the pack ship, because he was considered exceptionally talented. Those on board had been training and hunting together since they were assembled, chosen from their different creches, there was often seven to ten years between the youngest and the oldest among the pack. It was its own little society, the pack and the Eesan, made up of instructors. Heading the Eesan was the Quona, their voice in all things. It had been thirteen long years of training, practicing, hunting, and waiting for this "Graduation" hunt. He wanted this, so why was he so scared?

The hunt for Taura set up by the elders, was the end game and the whole purpose of this particular ship. The game and planet were chosen according to the skill of the one to be tested. Gui'Yata already had a reputation for successfully completing difficult hunts.

Gui'Yata was not only the youngest but also the most diminutive of the pack, standing seven foot as compared to the average male height of seven foot four, making his testing all the harder. He could remember all of the times he was the brunt of their practice fights. A practice that stopped as soon as he proved he could fight back. He more than made up for his lack of stature in his ferocity and cunning as a hunter. His years of defending himself had given him a stocky build, which he used to good advantage on his hunts. He was more skilled than most of his brethren, his specialties being tracking and infighting. He preferred the challenge of having to take the fight to the prey. He had hunted beasts that most of his brethren refused to, unless accompanied by several others.

He was well scarred, testimony to the difficulty of his hunts. They were a matter of pride, indicators of bravery, each a signature mark of the creature that had inflicted it, each one received honorably, and lived through, heightened status. A Soua did not, however, take foolish chances just for a mark of honor, which usually led to needless death.

Gui'Yata scratched absently at his chin feeling the four parallel marks puckering his skin. It was a scar that had given him a much greater standing among his peers. It ran from just under his chin, down the length of his neck and onto the right side of his chest. Received from a hunt that, though several years past, was vivid in his mind.

It had been a hunt for Soan, his brother Koratan, two other Fausi and he were in the party. He had come across the beast while scouting ahead of the party, further ahead than he should have been.

They were impressive creatures, standing a little over ten feet tall, they were heavily furred, long brown green fur that hid most of their features. They had six arms, each ending in four deadly ten inch long claws. The head was nothing more than what looked like a lump, the eyes that rimmed the head just barely visible from under the heavy fur. Each each eye saw a different section of the light spectrum, making it very hard to sneak up upon.

Rather than call in the rest of the party, he had taken it upon himself to kill the creature, and found out the hard way just how tenacious the Soan were. He had heard stories that once the Soan was engaged there was no retreat, the creature would fight the antagonist until one or the other of them was dead. Previous parties had ended in disaster, very few coming away with success, a pool of iridescent blood testament to those lost.

It went bad quickly, he had taken the fight to the creature, which was his trademark, and soon saw his folly. The creature's first swing decimated the plasma cannon, leaving him without any real means to kill the creature quickly. The second swing was intended to kill, luckily Gui'Yata had been backpedalling, and the blow had only grazed him. It was enough though, leaving him at a disadvantage, his whole world centered on the pain, thinking only that he could not breathe, could not see. He had no recollection of how he had killed the creature, or how long he lay there, except that it had been a long time. He had regained consciousness shortly before his brother had found him, dizzy, blind, and unable to move, but coherent enough to know that the Soan was dead, and that he had killed it. The wound had almost killed Gui'Yata. There are no major veins in the forward portion of the Soua neck, however or he would have died before he had been found.

Koratan had told him later how fearful he had been coming on the scene. Seeing Gui'Yata slumped atop the dead beast, covered in both his own and the Soans blood.

Gui'Yata focused on the trophy wall again, studying the Soan skull that adorned the center of the case. It was not the only dangerous prey he had faced, and killed, there were many trophies in his case. It was an impressive display, he should have felt proud. But the sight gave him no comfort, he felt edgy. 

He took a deep breath, clutching at the Soan claw dagger, thinking of his upcoming hunt...on Earth. That hunt would complete this training case. The council had chosen the planet, but the choice of where on the planet to hunt was left to him. He had chosen the city the natives called Los Angeles, as his brother, Koratan had four rotations earlier. He took certain pride in that choice, it honored Koratans unrewarded bravery. He was excited, and nervous; the last two decades had been bad ones for hunting the blue and green planet. He had heard stories of the Soua that had gone there almost thirteen rotations earlier. He had destroyed himself after being defeated by a human, in one of the planets native jungles. His own brother had been severely wounded in his hunt on Earth. What would his hunt be like? He slowly turned away from the trophy wall, disconcerted and headed back to his own quarters.

He kept seeing that scene from four rotations earlier. Kept seeing his brothers broken body, lying on the floor. His anger rising, desperately wanting to finish his brothers fight.

Gui'Yata and Koratan were unusually close, and family ties among Soua were not usually strong. Prestige was attained from the lineage of hunters a Soua had trained under, not familial ties. The brothers had known of their blood tie since Gui'Yata's first year though neither knew how. The brothers' relationship was very rare, and it was almost unheard of for siblings to serve together on a pack ship. They had trained in everything together. They had even hunted Raya, their 'coming of age', together, though Koratan was six rotations the elder. Their teacher had been Coysa, dead two rotations now, he had been the best of the best. With that kind of training, Koratan and Gui'Yata had both been told that they had great promise. And the elders had been greatly disappointed when Koratan had been defeated. More so for the fact that his had defeated him due to his own mistakes.

The human Koratan had chosen for the trophy case had beaten him, and Korotan had barely lived through the experience. He lost an arm in the fight, and bore a scar from sternum to navel, greatly limiting his mobility. A scar created from his own disa.

The fight was finished in the Quarta, and the Quona, had let the human live. Rights should have allowed them to finish the hunt for their fallen brother. As the Quona had explained later, the human had earned his right to live by beating Koratan. It showed the man to be a great warrior of the species, he had said, one deserving to pass his seed on. But it still enraged Gui'Yata. Just as much as it confused him that Koratan had not been required to take his own life for his defeat.

Koratan still assisted in the function of the group. Soua technology replacing his real limb with one of fantan, a lightweight yet tough substance, which would simulate any movement the natural limb could make, but marked the wearer with its pale green color. He would never be a full hunter though, the scar on his stomach prevented it, he had never been entitled Taura, and Gui'Yata often sympathized with his shame. Koratan had expressed his desire to accompany his younger sibling on the hunt, if only to kill the prey he was denied. The Quona refused him however, warning that it was Gui'Yata's turn to prove himself as a hunter.

This would be the first time Gui'Yata hunted without his brother at least being present. He knew, as much as he wanted to show the elders that he could hunt alone, his brothers company would be missed. Koratan had been with him on the Soan hunt, and was the only reason Gui'Yata still lived.

Even with the evidence of the last seventeen rotations as proof of human cunning, Soua did not hold the race, as a whole, in high regard, they were cattle for slaughter, clusu; the prey. They lived in warrens of high buildings, in close quarters at all times. It was no wonder that they were so violent, bound to the planet as they were. Unable to set their sights on anything more than petty fights among their own. The only reason that they were such prime quarry, was the fact that they were unpredictable and tenacious, an irresistible challenge for his race.

It was "mid-August" on this world, the hottest part of their seasons. It was the year 2003 planet time, and it was time for the hunt.


	2. Planetfall

Chapter one: Planetfall

The thirty-foot truck trailer sat at the end of the street, looking out over downtown Los Angeles. A thick layer of accumulated dust masked the spray-painted signatures of rival gangs, the once bright colors slowly fading in the intense heat and light of an overtaxed ecosystem. The tires were corroded and flat, causing the trailer to list, cobwebs seemed to anchor them to the ground. Passersby took it for just another abandoned piece of equipment, one of many in the area, which they simply ignored and continued on their way. The facade was a good cover for the activity inside its sound proofed walls. The space inside was filled with the loud hum of computers and the rattle of air conditioners. The floor was tilted to counteract the list given to make the facade more real.

Computers lined the walls, scrawling weather patterns and various blips of air traffic moving through the downtown area. There were three terminals, in front of each was a weary operator. They were coming close to the end of a twelve-hour shift, and they could hardly raise their heads to pay attention to the information that passed silently by.

One of the radar operators did not notice at first, when the screen blipped in an unidentified craft. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him as the computer announced the intruder a second time, he furrowed his brows shook his head and fell back to sleep. On the third blip he started awake, his head pounding as he cleared the fog from his brain to try and decipher the data coming through the computer. Any posted traffic had a signal that it transmitted, that signal would simply be digested by the computer and passed by, if the airborne traffic was not transmitting then the computer picked it up and pointed it out. That is what it had been programmed for. Originally designed to track drug traffickers in the air, it served its new purpose just as well. That was why these men were here.

He punched up pertinent information from his unidentified, it was coming in fast and low, not sticking to the air lanes set up by the city. Just then Storen burst through from the front where the racks were set up.

"You've got something?" He asked gruffly, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Yes sir, we've got a telemetry lock on an incoming object. It's going down near Griffith Park. Trajectory is too shallow, too controlled to be a meteor, I think it's our bogey."

It had been a long six-year wait, Storen thought. He had been in the organization since before the last one had shown up. Just a subordinate then, he was in charge of this team, one of twelve spread out over the west coast hoping to be lucky enough to capture one. He would get this one damn it, he promised himself that. Though none had been discussed, there was every opportunity for "Upward mobility".

"Well it's about time." The blond man grumbled his sudden rising turning his mood suddenly black, "I'm going to need a cover in that area, set me up a job," He said to one of the others who had appeared near the door, and to himself, "Welcome to Earth, mother fucker."

Quarta was set down in the thick shrubbery of an overgrown and nearly forgotten public park. Gui'yata had spent nearly a week in the ship preparing for his final and most important hunt as a Fausi. Now it was time to begin, he had decided to remain away from the ship this hunt, not to return unless he was successful. He hoped he would be, he did not want to become another warrior lost on this planet.

Gui'Yata exited the ship followed closely by Koratan. His older sibling bade him farewell and good hunting. They crossed arms, fists closed as a symbol of their blood relationship, and their friendship, then clapped each other on the shoulder. Gui'Yata's gaze fell to his brothers fantan limb, he shuddered slightly. With a knowing look Koratan turned away and retreated to the interior of the ship. Gui'Yata waited silently as the ship turned invisible, behind beams of refracted light. Calming himself, he set off toward the city, looming above the skyline. 

As he entered the decrepit neighborhood at the edges of the city, he switched on his own camouflage, now to be seen as a blur of twisted light. He made a quick survey of the surrounding buildings, intent on finding a temporary base to work from. He chose an old insurance building, one of the few that were still intact. The wind whistled mournfully through the broken glass. The structures showed various stages of advanced decay. The streets were piled with bricks, masonry, wood and various other pieces of the block. There was very little body heat evident and the buildings seemed deserted. 

He climbed in through one of the buildings boarded windows moving to the second floor with the grace of a cat. He looked out the nearby window, devoid of glass, and seeing the range of the view, nodded with satisfaction.

Gui'Yata moved back to the center of the empty room he had chosen for residence. It was dark, the colors drab, but Gui'Yata did not see visible light, only the colors corresponding to degrees of heat. There was a staircase on the northern side of the building leading down to the first floor.

Gui'Yata settled on the floor, producing a heating unit on which he cooked xaca, a trail meat. It was extracted from a large animal resembling an earthen centipede, a native of his home world. Gui'Yata had broken some customs by preferring the meat cooked, thinking it lacked flavor. 

The elders considered him reckless, and his peers regarded him as unorthodox, though oddly they seemed to respect him. He tended to beat those who did not. His hunting nickname was "Sai"; the rule bender. Koratan, had been reckless as well, but chided his sibling about the degree to which his lack of respect for established behavior went.

Gui'Yata reached up and disconnected the feed hose for his breather. The hissing of released gasses echoed off the walls. He pulled off his visor and set it on the ground at his feet. He blinked, it took a bit to again adjust to his normal vision. Soua sight had almost no heat contrast especially in hot weather, consisting of varied shades of yellows, reds and oranges. He sometimes wondered how they survived before they had invented the special filters that clarified their vision. The Soua were so far from that primitive past that it was rarely even discussed.

Outside Gui'yata's new hideout, a young man approached the boarded door, slowly making his way around to his usual entrance. His name, well he never divulged his name, but his friends called him Manta. He was not the biggest guy, only five foot seven inches, but he was well respected. He was quick and deadly with no compunction against using those assets. His eyes were the color of the deep sea, mostly dark blue with just a hint of green. He kept his coarse length of brown hair tied at the nape of his neck. He was a heart throb in high school, voted most likely to succeed, but the streets sometimes take their toll on even the most promising people. He was estranged from his parents, rebelling against their agenda for his life. His first weeks on the street were a nightmare, scarred, bruised, but finally taken in by the only family he now had, the Lobos. This life sucked but what else could he do?

This building he called home, though tomorrow a demolition crew would finish the job they started yesterday. Manta sighed, oh well, shit happens. But tonight it was still home, a place to get out of the weather. He headed for the back, stepping lithely around several collapsed walls and caved in ceilings, to where his few personals were kept. He had just gotten settled when he heard the noise, rustling upstairs, and the steady hum. The sound made by a generator or heater.

"Son of a bitch," Manta declared, someone was in his territory. Guy must have got lucky somewhere, people in this neighborhood could not afford heaters. Well, he wanted to be lucky too.

He cautiously made his way up the stairs, thinking he could surprise this unwanted guest.

Gui'Yata slowly pulled another piece of xaca from the bulk, contemplating the upcoming hunt, trying not to think about possibly dying on this forsaken planet. A faint sound stirred him from his thoughts, scuffing noises. There was someone approaching from the stairs, trying to be quiet. But, Gui'Yata's race had developed better hearing to take the place of poor sight. Quickly, Gui'Yata switched off the heating unit and turned his light refractor on, becoming nearly invisible. He moved to one side of the room, waiting.

"Who...Who's in here?" Came a shaky voice. The intruder's speech turned vicious, as he tried to sound intimidating, "Come out, come out! You've got five seconds to get out of here. This is my place! You either get out or I'll kill ya'!" Gui'Yata saw the heat of the mans body, and in contrast the cold blue of the weapon he held, registering blue even to his unaided vision.

A "cachunk" sounded, he had cocked the automatic weapon. The man stepped further into the room, tripping over Gui'Yata's mask. Recovering his footing, he leaned down to pick it up. Gui'Yata's eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck is this... somebodies idea of art?!" Manta muttered, "Man, this guy must have been on some serious drugs!" 

Gui'Yata emitted a low growl. The boy spun around, spooked at the sound. Gui'Yata tried to judge the distance to man, only just visible in his vision, using the blue contrast as a reference point.

That growl, Manta thought, he had never remembered dogs in this building before, besides it did not sound like any dog he had ever heard before. He shivered feeling like he was being watched. The growl came again, this time Manta panicked loosing a spray of bullets in the direction of the sound.

Gui'Yata ducked the bullets, and deftly regaining his feet, he lunged. The sound of protracting wrist knives took the place of the ringing of bullets.

Gui'Yata struck hard and quick, his aim deadly even without the refinement of his visor. The man went down, sounding with a wet thump. Blood quickly formed a dark pool around Mantas inert form. Gui'Yata stepped through it to retrieve the mask, still clutched in the corpses hand. He secured it back on his head, turning to the youth that had been his first kill. He picked Manta up by the collar, the head lolled against his backbone all but completely severed. Gui'Yata clicked to himself, content that his skill was not lessened by his impaired vision, his apprehension about the hunt was gone.

He flipped the corpse over, neatly separating the ribs from the backbone with the sraha. He pulled the backbone up at the base extracting his prize, the mans skull. He then hung the headless body at the top of the stairwell as a warning. Gui'Yata did not feel the need to skin the rest of it, another outdated concept he had rejected, though he sometimes did it to test his skill. Soua did not eat human flesh unless it was absolutely necessary, therefore skinning was wasted effort. So was hanging it, but it made an effective deterrent to any other would be intruder.

He seated himself back in front of the heating unit, to clean his trophy. When he finished polishing it he stuck it into his trophy bag. Then he removed his sraha, the wrist knives that he had used so efficiently, to clean them. It was his favorite weapon, triggered by the muscles in his forearm it was low profile and not clumsy like the weapons some of his other companions preferred. It was thought controlled, though Gui'Yata was unsure how it picked up the messages. That was one of the Noora Clans secrets, those skilled in the art of weapon making. When he finished cleaning it he strapped it back on his arm. 

He was content, his first kill had come to him, it was a good sign. Gui'Yata curled up next to the heater and slept.

The next morning Gui'Yata woke as the sun began to rise. He looked out from his perch to find many large vehicles parked outside, and someone approaching the building. The human held a device in his arms, too cold to read out on Gui'Yata's sensors. Gui'Yata was not aware that the building had been set up for quick demolition, and the man was here to rig the detonator. He did sense something was amiss, this casual visit to an obviously deserted structure, made him nervous. The device reminded him of something he had seen in his briefing for the hunt, but he could not place what it had been.

He watched as the man entered the building, seeing his heat through the floor. Gui'Yata pushed hastily past the corpse hanging at the top of the stairs, forgetting his camouflage in the rush. Halfway down the stairs Gui'Yata stopped being extremely silent. The man was working with something on the other side of the wall, and Gui'Yata did not want his presence known just yet. The Soua watched intently readying for the kill.

The hair on the back of Paul's neck were on end, it was here. He rigged the detonator directly to the wall, he could not take the chance on it getting away. He had worked so long for this moment. He had just about given up and packed it in when one of their sensors had finally picked him up.

"I sense you, mother fucker." He hissed, setting the detonator for thirty-five seconds, "Let's see how you get out of this one."

Paul paused until the reading was fifteen seconds then quickly headed back for the front entrance. Gui'Yata leapt back up the stairs, taking them three at a time to get ahead of the human, and attack from above. He turned into the doorway of his previous nights dwelling when the explosives went off. The building rocked wildly. Gui'Yata lost balance, and was thrown back through the doorway, slamming into the wall. Dazed he tried to steady himself, and slipped off the top step. Gui'Yata tumbled down the stairs, landing on his stomach, his head ringing. Shaking it out he tried to push himself up. He did not make it. The building crumbled quickly, a chunk of the second floor struck him down. Caught in the buildings rapid collapse, Gui'Yata was knocked unconscious.


	3. Courtney

Chapter Two: Courtney

Courtney sat in the cab of the bulldozer, her black hair blowing into her face despite her efforts to keep it back. She listened intently to the verbal traffic coming over her headset, people joking to each other, gossiping. Courtney consulted her watch, "OK guys, clear the line," She said strongly, hushing the rest of the crew, "It's just about that time." Her five foot three inch well proportioned body seeming small in the chair. She was the assistant manager of this particular demolition crew, and one of the few women she knew that was licensed for heavy equipment, the only one on this job. She was proud of the fact that she earned her position. She had known too many of those who had gotten ahead the easy way. 

Most of the men on the team called her "la diabla", because she was hell on wheels, especially if they made the mistake of treating her like a shy, sweet senorita. She was also infamous for an exaggerated story of her involvement with the gang known as Los Diablos. A gang she was never really an initiated member of, but you could not tell the guys that.

Her particular team was leveling the whole block for a new set of low-income housing. What a joke, people in this city were either poor or rich, there was no middle ground. The poor were unable to even afford "low income" housing. She looked up at the nearby Griffith Park, wondering vaguely why it had not been torn down. The city had managed to keep developers out, though Courtney did not know why. It was home to so many drug dealers and violent homeless that nobody went there. It was overgrown, dark, and dirty, and the perfect hideout for scum. Her dark brown eyes sparkled with the cynicism of that thought. That was her Mexican heritage, her mother was the same way. She grew up here, watched as the city decayed under the pressure of the drug wars. Watched the police fight a losing battle against both the big businesses crooks and the horde of smaller thieves who usually cleaned up after their idolized counterparts. Her? Well, everyone she knew considered her rich. She made probably eighty dollars an hour for running heavy equipment. She had been the lucky one, they said. But she still took the subway home and most of her money went to supporting her rather large family, her mother, her sisters, et cetera. The largest portion of her paycheck went toward child support, for her six-year-old daughter, Teresa.

Her reverie was broken as Paul burst through the doors of the building. It struck her as being odd, she was distracted from his actions by movement on the second story. She felt herself gape, it looked like someone was still in there! She stood up in the cab. Paul was not ten feet from the entrance when he was bowled over by the concussion of the explosion, snapping her attention back to him. 

"PAUL!" she heard herself scream. She sat down hard, leaning on the control panel for support, this was happening too fast!

She breathed a little when he regained his feet and continued his sprint, trying to calm herself as the walls collapsed in on themselves, sending a large dust cloud into the air. Coming up alongside the 'dozer he stopped, smiling at her, panting. She looked away a moment watching the dust settle behind him, feeling her shock and confusion being slowly replaced by anger.

"She's all yours Court!" he said like a boy who was proud of catching the biggest frog in school.

"You think you could have detonated a little sooner? Maybe you could have actually killed yourself." She said sarcastically, not being able to calm her fury, "God! If you ever pull another stupid stunt like that I'll have your license revoked! You were supposed to blow the building from out here." She paused a moment, "did you see anyone in there when you were setting up?" there was an irritated tinge to her voice.

"Do you think I would have blown it if some one had been in there?" he smiled, the comment disarmed her a little.

"No, I guess not." but she was not so sure.

She shook her head as she started the dozer and drove toward the remnants of the building, signaling to the rest that it was clear to excavate. She kept wondering why the management had hired this guy. Oh, he came quite highly recommended. But no one had informed them that he was semi-suicidal, that was twice he had done something that was clearly unsafe. It was like the man did not really know what he was doing.

He was a tall man, about six foot two inches. His dark brown hair, baby blue eyes, bodybuilder physique and perfect tan were the combination most women would die for. A real macho man.

But she hated macho types, the ones who always thought they knew a lot, but always proved otherwise. Courtney always felt especially uneasy around this particular man, he seemed out of place, he had soft hands that did not fit a demolition man's profile. He acted as if he was hiding something. She pondered that thought heavily as she went to work moving rubble into piles for easy pick up later.

After an indefinite period of time, Gui'Yata woke from abysmal unconsciousness to an ache that pulsed red behind his cornea. He tried to groan, but could not seem to pass air over his vocal cords, it came out as an airy wheeze. Slowly he opened his eyes, seeing cold blue filtered through the lenses of his mask, no heat. It was unnervingly quiet, the sound of his own movements seemed amplified. He tried to turn his head, only to find that it was wedged tightly between two pieces of what had been building, seemingly moments before. The tough metal of his mask was the reason he was still alive, without it the debris would have crushed his head, his body was tough but not that tough. His whole body felt to be on fire, and he found it hard to think he knew already that the situation was bad.

His right arm pounded with dull pain, as though the arm was severely swollen. He found with exploratory movement that it was pinned behind him at his elbow, but his hand was free. As he made a fist, the ends of a raggedly broken bone grated painfully making him winced. The impact had fractured the arm, just above where the slab of concrete was resting.

A sharp stabbing pain radiated up and down his left arm. It was that arm he was more concerned with, he was able to see it, it extended slightly away from his body, palm down. From what his visor reported a metal reinforcement used in the building smashed through his arm computer, and had passed completely through his forearm, between the radius and ulna; the rod was firmly driven into the ground. He flexed his hand slowly, wincing as the rod rasped on the ulna, and the muscles pulled painfully, there was no feeling in his digits. He had been lucky, considering another such reinforcement was sunk into the ground just centimeters from his throat, tickling his chin.

He cursed himself, how could he have been so stupid? He should have taken the human out immediately. Instead he had given him time, time to rig the explosive. He growled, angry at himself for not paying closer attention to the weapons report given during his brief. Now he was helpless, both of his arms had been rendered useless in one freak accident, with the destruction of his computer, he would be unable to hunt in the open without being seen, and self destruction was no longer an option. 

He began to despair, unusual for a Soua, the hunt had just begun, now it seemed certain he would die, a slow and painful death, not in the hunt as it should be. He was too far from the ship and the elders had said that he would be on his own, once the hunt had started. He could expect no help. Realizing this he tried to relax, to accept his fate.

Taking as deep a breath as he could manage, he forced himself to finish his diagnosis, he had to survive. He could not allow himself to be found by these primitives. He would worry about the hunt only if this situation resolved itself to his advantage. Berating himself accomplished nothing.

He tried to move his toes, and dewclaws, reaction, and no pain. Good, that would mean he could still walk, if he ever got out of this. He tried to get up using his legs, thinking he might be able to shift the slab, no luck. More debris, sitting just inches above the small of his back prevented him from gaining leverage. He was unsure that even his strength could move the tons of rubble sure to be on top of him. That did not stop him from trying, several more times, each without success.

How he managed to get trapped in a relatively clear pocket in the collapse was unclear, but Yahner had clearly favored him. However he was pinned, not painfully for the most part; even if he could move, he would have to sever his left arm to free himself. His arm was throbbing agony in the area of the wound and the left hand was now completely numb. Pinned, as he was, he would be unable to treat his wounds or staunch the bleeding, he would probably go into shock and die, long before he was ever found. He began to wish that the blocks would slip, and make his death quick, obscuring his identity for those who would find his remains.

He was amazed at the range of emotions that washed over him while he lay trapped in what seemed certain to be his tomb.

Then he began to feel, and hear a rumbling, coming closer. The slab above him shifted with a groan, putting pressure on his spine. Gui'yata bit back a yelp, grinding his teeth. His visor began to show heat, inanimate, a machine perhaps, moving his direction. The noise rose and abated several times, each time the picture grew clearer. Gui'Yata surmised that it was clearing the rubble. He was proved more than right when the machine grabbed the chunk that had impaled his arm, twisting his arm up before relinquishing its hold on his swollen flesh, ripping open an even larger hole, before it fell uselessly to the ground. Gui'Yata screamed, long and loud, to be heard over even the machines noises. It was loud enough to get the attention of the operator, who shut the machine down. Gui'Yata was trying to pull his newly bleeding arm back toward him when his visor warned him of approaching body heat, somebody's feet came into view. He had been discovered.

"Shit." he managed to say in English, before mercifully blacking out.

Courtney, who had just started clearing the rubble, stood there in shocked confusion, she was not seeing this, was she? She leaned down over the limb that was too large, and most definitely not human. She had heard the unearthly scream, and fearing the worst, she had shut down the 'dozer to investigate. She kept thinking of the person that she had thought she had seen in the building just before the explosion, but she was not expecting this.

"Holy shit... what the hell is this thing?" She had seen the thing move, as she came up, but now it seemed lifeless. Thinking she was crazy, she picked up the limp hand. It was three times the size of her own, each of the five digits ending in a two-inch long claw. It wore what looked like weight-lifting gloves, having cutoff fingers and pre punched holes for circulation of air around the hand. It was made of a leather she had never seen, it was supple, but so snug fitting she was unable to even slide a finger between it and the skin. There were sharpened metal studs adorning the glove, between the first and second knuckle. The skin color was an overall yellow orange, speckled with spots ranging from dark orange to black. For all its' reptilian look the skin was amazingly smooth and warm, though not quite as warm as her own. Midway up the forearm there was a gaping hole, oozing green, florescent blood. She looked up to the slab she just moved, the blood dripped from one of the steel reinforcing rods that had been exposed in the blast. She tried to see what the rest of the creature looked like, but the noontime shadows were too dark and deep to see much. She began to reach up in trying to feel its features, when the slab groaned ominously. She jumped back lest the pile collapse. If the hand was any indication, the creature was big, even worse it looked ugly.

"Shit, if I don't get this stuff moved soon, it's gonna be flat." She pronounced to her self. She was apprehensive but she rationalized that it was of no harm to her unconscious. It was one of those things she would think back on later and realize how stupid it had been. Not thinking, just acting out of curiosity, not caring as to the possible consequences. 

She jumped on the dozer and moved it out of the way. She brought in a smaller scale crane, directed by remote control, for this more delicate procedure of removing rubble. She secured the cable around the largest slab, and biting her lip slowly raised it off the top of the pile. If there were a slip, the thing would be dead without a doubt. That job completed without incident, she felt better as she moved the smaller debris clear of the creature. She left just enough of the pile to screen her actions from curious onlookers.

When the rubble was cleared and the crane directed to off load, she checked her new charge. She was a certified EMT, a desperate necessity in a job as dangerous as this. It was alive, or so it seemed, she could not find the spots corresponding to a pulse. With a little probing she discovered that the creature had an endoskeleton, and seemed warm blooded, so she was not reaching too far out of her league. There was an unnerving flat spot on one side of the mask it wore. The back edge had been twisted away from its head where it had caught on a piece of masonry, then was impacted from above. The chunk had just missed cleaving his head wide open. She would have to investigate further to make sure there was no skull fracture, at least an obvious one. With a sour look on her face, as if she expected to be touching something slimy, she began to feel under the edge of the helmet. What she encountered was something entirely different, there were two or three ridges just above the roots of his hair, stiff spikes grew between them. past the ridges the head was amazingly smooth, with only a few of the quills dotting the surface. In the midst of her amazement she came across what she hoped she would not find. There was a large gash where the masonry had been forced against his flesh. She had no doubt now that there was a concussion. She wiped the weird almost luminescent blood quickly on her pants.

As she continued her preliminary examination she found multiple injuries, though there were considerably less than a human in the same circumstances would have sustained. Its right arm lay at an unnatural angle, looking as if another elbow had sprung up. The break was two to four inches above the elbow, and luckily had not protruded from the skin.

That was a mild set of injuries, a human would have been much worse, if alive at all. The weight of the debris should have crushed him, it, or whatever. As for the wound on the left arm, its' bracelet, or what ever it had been was shattered, and fragments were embedded in the wound. Pulling the bar back out had only embedded them deeper in the flesh.

"No thanks to you, you twit." She chided herself.

As she finished diagnosing the patient, the crane returned, ready as ever for more work. Courtney commanded it to stay put, then she moved to the operations shed where all the medical supplies were kept. She gathered the stretcher and a blanket, emergency splints and some rubbing alcohol.

"Hey, Court'," Paul called curiously, causing Courtney a coronary, "What's up. What's with all the medico's?"

Calming her nerves, she replied venomously, "I've got an injury, you asshole! You were supposed to make sure everyone was out of the building, BEFORE you rigged the damned thing." she did not have to fake her anger.

"Oh man! You need some help?" He asked, not even phased by the ass chewing he just received, all too willing to assist.

"No...That's ok, Me an' the crane can handle it. I'm sure you have more important things to see to." She bristled, walking away.

Paul grumbled to himself for a bit before huffing off the other direction.

She set up the stretcher next to the inert form of the creature. She very carefully straightened his right arm to a more normal position, and quickly splinted it, securing it and his left arm, which she had hastily cleaned and wrapped, to his body. She wanted desperately to get a clear look at that head wound, it was bleeding profusely. However, her desire was hindered for the fact that she was unable to remove the mask, it remained stubbornly sealed to his head. She would get a better look at it later, when she had a penlight.

Struggling, she attempted to turn it over onto the litter, thinking perhaps that she should have let Paul help to make things easier. After what seemed an eternity she was able to get it on the stretcher, it must have weighed over three hundred fifty pounds. She hooked up the crane and directed it and its cargo toward a company van she had borrowed for the occasion. She had to watch very closely, the creature was taller than the stretcher was long, and so as to make sure he did not slide or roll off.

Courtney was just finishing loading the creature, and had covered it with the blanket when Paul magically appeared again.

"What's the verdict Doc'" still as cheery as ever.

"Doesn't look at all good," She said, hastily shutting the van doors to block Pauls view, "Broken arm, possible concussion, major lacerations, he's a royal mess" She ran for the drivers door, "I got to get him to the hospital as soon as possible. Tell Tom that I'll return the van tomorrow, Thanks, Bye!!" she kept the mask of bravado trying to cover the fact that he had scared her, almost finding her "Patient".

Paul watched her go, noticing the iridescent green dripping from her bumper. He smiled and sauntered away from the scene, she was not fooling him. But, he was equally as mad, his prize had just left, another setback. He had been counting on her or whoever found it, reporting the find. That she decided to leave with it was an unforeseen nuisance.

He made his way to the command shed, peeking inside to make sure no one was around. Slipping inside he rifled through the files.

"They've got to have...ah ha!", he said pulling out the crew's roster. He found what he wanted, and jotted down the information he needed.


	4. The Patient

Chapter Three: The Patient

Chapter Three: The Patient

There was no way Courtney was going to take it to a hospital. The hospital would probably, no definitely, make a media event out of it, if they treated it at all. She had decided immediately upon finding the creature that she would treat it herself. She was an EMT, she had all the supplies she needed, readily available near her home, and would treat him there. Her apartment was close to a branch medical center, where she worked part time for the doctors. She had her own key, it made it very convenient and very private. She just hoped that Earthen medicine would agree with him.

Arriving at her small downtown apartment, Courtney retrieved a stretcher from the center. She rushed out positioning it at the open back of the van. After a few vein-bursting pulls with no success, it was obvious that Courtney was going to have to enlist someone's help to slide the creature onto the gurney. She chewed a nail nervously, trying to come up with a feasible plan to get some one to help her. She snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her. Shutting the van doors, she rushed back inside grabbing two or three sheets, and as quickly as she could covered the alien from head to foot, so that none of his features were visible. She peered around the van looking for a likely candidate for the kind of strength she needed. She was going to have to do this well, if she let him think for a minute that she would lose him. After about twenty minutes not one but two likely looking candidates strolled her way. She made like she had just pulled up. She ran up to the two of them, "Hey, I need some help here!" she said loudly grabbing the nearest and dragging him behind her, "The clinic staff is inundated right now, this patient's critical and I need to get him inside now!" He had just the right look of dumbfoundedness. His buddy came around the van's corner. "Hey you can help too, y'know!" she shoved him toward the close end of the stretcher, while the first man scrambled inside to pick up the far end. Courtney held the gurney steady while they grunted with the sheer weight of her "Patient".

"This guy's huge." the first man stated.

"And he weighs a ton." The other added.

"Yeah, he's some kind of football player." she lied, but the answer placated the two helpers. Once the creature was on the gurney and strapped down Courtney yelled thanks over her shoulder and whipped the gurney into the clinic. She took the gurney around a corner and stopped. She peered back around, watching the two men. They shared a couple of stupefied glances and slowly continued down the street. Courtney breathed a sigh of relief, glad the two of them had not noticed the lack of patrons at the clinic, nor the fact that no lights illuminated the inside. She moved to the doors locking them, and took the gurney to an alley door. She stayed there long enough to pile a few extra medical supplies on the gurney. She moved the creature out and locked the clinic tight. Then she moved her charge swiftly through the back entrance of her building and into her apartment.

She felt lucky, for once, that her apartment was on the first floor. She drew the curtains, and made sure that all the doors were locked for complete privacy. She then broke out all of her medical supplies, laying them out on the nearby coffee table. She treated the wound on its arm first. Using a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers, she began retrieving small fragments of material still embedded in the flesh. It was an excruciating process but necessary for it to heal properly. Once or twice the creature stirred, or a low growling could be heard. She praised whatever deity there be that he never fully woke, each twitch made her want to hide. She cleaned and dressed the wound, moving to casting the broken arm. She had a hard time getting even the small wounds to stop bleeding. The creature's blood was thinner than human blood and did not coagulate near as fast. It made her wonder what had prevented him from bleeding to death before she had found him.

When she finished tending to those and the less serious cuts and lacerations, she sat slumped in the chair, studying it's features. The mask it wore was most disquieting, the lenses covering its eyes made it look as if the creature was awake and watching her. It was made of a metal resembling brass, as was most of the gear he wore. Four hoses were attached to the mask and ran down to the pack that it wore on its back. His 'clothing' consisted of a type of fishnet under-suit, covered sparsely with a light armor; leg guards, gauntlets, shoulder protection, and chest plates. All of which would not come off of his person, something Courtney needed to check for further injuries. 

Her first assumption seemed correct, it seemed reptilian, lacking only the tail of a lizard. Both its feet and hands were clawed, definite signs of a predatory creature. The feet even had a thumb-like toe, probably providing extra balance, or maybe for gripping things. Its skin had a scaly look, though it was overall very smooth to the touch, more like a frog or a toad, she told herself. It was humanoid in form, whose body color was a mixture of browns and oranges. It's 'Hair' was made up of solid tentacle like growths. They reminded her of dreadlocks. Every other strand was adorned with at least one decorative ring, some of metal; resembling brass, but most were bone, vertebrae if her guess was right. 

She turned her attention to the assortment of items she had managed to get off of the creature. Everything on the table suggested a considerable intelligence, more advanced than any Earthen technology. They made a contradictory statement to the clothing it wore, which she likened to something Celts and Vikings once wore. What had made her job of cleaning his wound so hard sat at one end, she could not even decipher what it had been, so she left it be. She picked up the other armband and studied it. It was a gauntlet made of a rigid material, two long rectangles were mounted atop it, standing about an inch and a half from the band. It had covered his arm from wrist to elbow, (though on her it would cover her arms three quarters of the way up). Somehow she triggered it, and two very lethal looking blades popped out of their receptacles. She shuddered and dropped it immediately. Courtney looked back to the creature, from shoulder to hip he wore a sling. The sling was strung with teeth, bones and skulls of various sizes. Strapped to his waist was a dagger, about a foot long, snow white in color, well used she could see by the faded carvings on its handle.

A chill ran up her spine, she looked to the knifed gauntlet on the floor and back to the creature. Why was this thing here? She wondered suddenly, the weapons, the skulls, reminded her of...of a hunter. But, what was he hunting here? 

She did not want to answer that. 

But, a trickle of a story told to her by a friend invaded her mind. About a creature who made trophies of men, of mutilated bodies, stripped of skin, and hung from rafters. About how the thing killed a car full of subway passengers, but spared her friend, for a reason even her friend did not know.

She sat there chewing her lip wondering if she had just let the wolf in with the sheep, until exhaustion overtook her.

Several hours later, after the sun had set, Gui'Yata became conscious. He would have rested longer, but he felt as if he were choking. He was no longer pinned in the remnants of the building, in fact he was on his back in some sort of dwelling. Confused he sat up, fighting off dizziness and the pain screaming up his arms, to survey his new surroundings. He had been stripped of most of his weapons, he was still in possession of his disa, noan, and raspa, (the throwing disk, net, and retractable spear), that were still stored in his pack. 

He was obviously in the main room of the dwelling, he caught glimpses of smaller rooms in the back. Everything reeked of non-organic materials, several different variations of seats were set up around the room, and in a pattern that confused him. The walls were flimsy, and not well insulated, one quake like he was used to would level the building easily. 

There was a human female slumped in a chair across from where he lay. She was no more than five foot three, she had long hair, and a soft oval face. Out of habit, he studied the structure of her skull. How did such a meek specimen manage to remove all that rubble, and drag him here? He reminded himself that they were reasonably advanced and used machines for what they could not accomplish on their own. He would have to quell his prejudice just a bit more, give the creatures a little more credit.

His chest ached as he breathed, he ignored it for the moment. The wound on his arm had been bound in an absorbent material. The break in his right arm had been set it some kind of rigid material, preventing him from moving it at all. He snarled quietly, how hindering. Primitives, he thought, no knowledge of modern medicine. Small tingling pains rippled up and down his back, the smaller cuts and scrapes had also been treated. His head ached fiercely, but he attributed it to his earlier incident and thought no more of it.

He needed to get out of here, to get back to the hunt. Gui'Yata slid off the stretcher which unexpectedly rolled away, fell over the coffee table and clattered on the floor. The noise caused the occupant to start awake. Seeing him awake she leapt over the chair and hid a pretty impressive feat for someone not yet fully conscious. Gui'Yata assumed the best defensive position as restricted as he was, hissing at the human.

He could see that she was scared, but she mastered it well. Easing out from behind the chair, she moved toward him speaking in soothing tones.

"Hey now" she was saying, "I'm not going to hurt you." All the time thinking that she was being very stupid, he looked as if he thought of killing her. 

Her attention was drawn away from the crouched creature by the ringing of the phone. It rang several more times, as she tried to decide whether or not to answer it. Slowly she backed away from the crouched growling form, toward the phone positioned against the adjacent wall.

"Hullo?" she said huskily into the receiver, keeping a wary eye on her lethal visitor.

"Kill it!" Gui'Yata's training kept telling him. She was not armed, but the thing that had made that noise, it was...a communications device. She might tell someone of him. He stood slowly, reaching for his disa, but when he threw it he knew immediately the aim was off. It was his off arm, and a stab of pain made him pull the trajectory off.

Courtney had not gotten two words out of her mouth when she saw the movement. She instinctively ducked falling to the floor, and the phone receiver came away with her, the cord neatly severed. She stared at it momentarily, as the weapons shadow passed over her on its return arc. He had tried to kill her! She should have been scared, but she was instead incensed. She pushed herself off the floor.

Gui'Yata sidestepped the weapon, being unable to catch it, he let it stop in the couch behind him. He watched as she got up, and approached him! "You ungrateful son of a bitch!" She said angrily. He was surprised when she swung for him with the phone receiver. So surprised that it connected, and shattered into little pieces against the material of his helmet. It was his turn to react, he raised his free hand claws spread wide, but her lack of anticipated reaction stopped him short. She just stood there panting angrily. He dropped his hand to his side, cocking his head in confusion.

His vision started to blur, and he began to get dizzy again, taking his concentration away from the human. He shook his head, grabbing at the edge of the mask.

Courtney fully believed that she had caused what was happening, with the blow she had delivered him. She had a terrible temper, which had only been made worse by an abusive ex-husband. "Are you alright?" she said guiltily, her anger forgotten.

There was something wrong with the mixture coming into his feed lines. The effect was intensified by the ache in his head and aggravated by his sudden movements. He stumbled over the table, and landing heavily on the couch, just barely missed the exposed edge of the disa still embedded in the fabric. He tore at the hoses, disconnecting them from his mask. The woman jumped at the hiss it made. 

With his left hand he hooked his fingers under the lip, and struggled to get it off. His lungs were on the verge of bursting, and he began to growl in frustration and panic. The woman was slowly but steadily backing away, becoming more frightened as the growl gained volume. Finally the seal broke, and he threw the mask away from him gasping. He yelped snatching his arm back toward him when a stab of pain reminded him of his injury. Still panting he looked over at the female, a snarl still flickering in his features. She had a shaky hand over her mouth. With superb control she stopped shaking, slowly approached, and reached toward him. He hissed at her, and she withdrew slightly. 

Courtney had thought he looked ugly with the mask on. But the mask covered an even nastier face. She was reminded of a pit bull. He had four fangs, which crossed over in the front, each fang was on a single independently controlled mandible. Beneath them was another set of teeth. Two occupied the top jaw like the fangs of a snake, and four were set on the bottom. All the teeth looked razor sharp. He was studying her just as close, and she began to wonder why she was sticking around. Now the laceration on his scalp glared wickedly at her. Her EMT training made her want to treat the cut, before secondary infection had a chance to set in. It was an ingrained habit to want to stop the pain for a patient; alien, human or otherwise.

Gui'Yata's breathing slowed, he thanked the Quona that this air of Earth was somewhat breathable. It seemed like breathing smoke compared to his usual mixture, but it would do, long enough for him to make repairs. He looked away from her, and closed his eyes trying to will the pain, and the swimming his head was doing, away. A light touch brought him back to his surroundings. Shapes were hard to discern without the special filters in his lenses. The woman was now right next to him. He wanted to strike out at her, but something about her... fascinated him.

"Are you OK?" she asked, prying his fingers away from the injury. He looked at her strangely. Her hand was warm, warmer than his own body temperature.

"OK" He said in English, it sounded rough, and it startled the woman. English was hard on the throat.

She continued to talk, all the while she was pulling the arm straight. She began to unwrap the bandage, distracting him with her words.

"So, you do speak."

Gui'Yata shook his head negatively, not her language anyway. He could feel her tension through her touch. She was frightened of him, but she still aided him. It was very strange, the elders had never told of this aspect of the human race. He was held in thrall by her unusual actions.

"No. That's odd it sounded like speech to me..." She trailed off, taking the last of the bandage away. The wound was infected. 

Most of his forearm was swollen, he was still unable to feel his left hand, the numbness had moved up into his forearm. 

Courtney noticed the swelling, also color of the skin, instead of a healthy orange was almost black. The smell was of something dead.

"Oh, my god." She whispered, surprised how fast the infection had spread.

With a light touch she probed the flesh seeing how far the infection had gone. She left for a moment, returning with steaming liquid and some cloth. She had totally forgotten what the creature represented, her only concern was the infection.

She dipped the cloth into the water, and wrung it out. She laid it onto the wound to stop the pain, and hopefully stop or reverse the swelling. He jumped in spite of himself, this time it actually was enough heat to burn, if only a little.

"Hot water and Epsom salt." She said not knowing that he did not really understand. He understood the inflection and the tone of the speech, as well as body language and gestures, which was part of a young Souas training. It was just a slight adaptation from having to learn such a complex language as theirs. From the sounds she made he could tell she was scared, apprehensive, but also curious and concerned for him. The curiosity stood out, overpowering her fears.

She removed, cleaned out and replaced the compress three times. She waited for the laceration to dry slightly, blowing on it to help it along.

Gui'Yata cocked his head to one side at such a strange gesture. Courtney seeing his look, smiled, turning red from embarrassment. He watched as the heat in her face increased changing the color from red to bright orange. She hurriedly went through her stock of supplies and pulled out another roll of gauze. But when she started applying it Gui'Yata pulled his arm from her grasp, shaking his head.

He propped his leg up on the couch, so he could reach a compartment on his calf, scaring Courtney enough as to make her stand up. He set his thumb to a detente, a small click sounded and a container about the size of a cigar box slid out.

"Oh, cool, a thumb-lock" Courtney said excitedly, pressing her finger onto the detente. Realizing what she had just done, she jumped back.

That look crossed over his four-fanged face again, "Thumb-lock?" he grated looking puzzled. Then he shrugged. He pulled the container free, and set it in front of him. He opened it and pulled out what looked to be a rod. But he released a latch and spread out the bottom pieces to form a bowl. Then he removed a small vial of iridescent blue liquid, and set it next to the bowl. Next with a grunt he broke the cast Courtney had so laboriously applied to his right arm.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? I spent an hour putting that on!" At the same time as she amazed at the strength it must have taken to shatter the cast that easily.

He ignored her protests, crumbling some of the plaster into the makeshift bowl. He then broke the vial over the pieces, and stirred it with what looked like a butter knife. The contents turned into a jelly, which Gui'Yata proceeded to apply to the wound. She heard him draw a sharp breath, digging the claws into his palm, but he continued applying it to both sides of the gaping hole. After a few minutes, Gui'Yata flexed his hand. Feeling was already beginning to come back, meaning there was no permanent damage to the nerves. The intensity of the pain eased as the pain killers took effect, essentially numbing the surrounding tissue. Courtney marveled at the covered wound, her anger replaced with curious excitement, poking cautiously at the cured substance.

"Totant" He said pointing to the substance. He asked himself why he was instructing her about his medical supplies. But the thought slipped away as fast as it had entered his head.

Courtney saw him wince, the bone in his other arm must have slipped. "Totant?" She repeated and he nodded, "That is really something, you could teach our medics some things," another part of her thinking that he should never have removed the cast.

Next he produced a wide band, which looked like pot metal, two squares glowing slightly, accented one end. He held his arm out, and motioned for Courtney to pull. She seated herself on the table, looking apprehensive, rubbing her sweating palms on her jeans, but when he nodded she took a tight hold of his wrist with both hands and pulled. She felt the bone slip into place, and was almost pulled of the coffee table by his reaction. He relaxed slightly, concentrating on what he was doing. She held it steady while he wrapped the suddenly limber band around the area of the break. Then he motioned for her to release her hold. He again tested the devices, bending his arm at the elbow and flexing his left hand. He nodded, satisfied that he was again mobile.

"Wow, setting the arm without having to worry about the restriction of a cast." he looked up at her. She cautiously leaned over him to get a better look at the device. She noticed that the band moved to accommodate muscle volume when he flexed his arm.

"Sressra" he again instructed her, it was electromagnetic cast, keeping the bones in place with something similar to a force field.

"Sressra" She repeated. Gui'Yata was amused by her intense curiosity. It reminded him of some of the Saru in the Creche who questioned everything.

She looked again to the gash on his head deciding that treatment could wait no longer, "Let me take a look at this..." she murmured standing slowly and reaching toward his temple. Growling, not knowing what she was trying, he grabbed her arm and practically flung her across the room, she landed hard in the chair where she had been seated. She again got up, and staring him straight in the eyes took his wrist in her hand. She tried to raise it to his temple to show him what she had gone after. He yanked his arm from her grip, looking at her strangely.

"You have a cut on your head," she said, emphasizing with quick cutting motion and then pointing to her own head. He obviously still did not understand. In a move of desperation she quickly reached over and touched it, but she was not fast enough to get her hand clear before he had grabbed her again. He squeezed her wrist until it was almost unbearably painful. She twisted her hand to face him, even though it gave her an Indian burn, to show him the blood that was there.

He looked at her fingertips, and his brows furrowed. He released her, gruffly, and reached his own hand to his head, touching the ragged flesh. He clicked something she found incomprehensible, to himself. He shuffled a finger through the small medical kit lying on the table, burbling, in obvious agitation. He looked at the totant left in the bowl, then at her. His face may not be quite analogous to that of a human, but the emotions that played across his face were easily read. Something that was universal in humanoids, perhaps?

She shook her head negatively, "That won't do it." she said slowly, "For one you haven't got enough, and for another, it will never hold this," she pointed at his head, "together. But stitches will." She stood there thinking a while, then her body stiffened as she thought of her supplies. She left, and the creature looked after her retreating form. She was quickly back holding something. It was a curved needle and some stitching floss, and he snarled at the primitive device.

"Hey, it is not going to heal without it." She said beginning to get perturbed with this creature, it acted like a spoiled child, "This stuff dissolves in time..." she trailed off realizing he could never understand what she was saying. She threw up her hands in exasperation, plopping down in the chair, with one leg propped over the arm. She tossed the needle and cord on the coffee table, and resting her chin on her fist she fumed for a while.

They sat in stalemated silence, for a very long time. Curiosity got the better of the creature and it picked up the needle and thread to examine it closer, while Courtney studied the wallpaper pattern. Blood ran continuously down his brow ridge to trickle in his eye. He wiped it out becoming annoyed with it.

He looked over at the frustrated woman, looking concerned for a moment. He held the needle up, "Stitches." he stated in a tone of dejected agreement. She started, looking at him in surprise, from one corner of her eye. He leaned over the table motioning the needle at her. Slowly, cautiously she took it from him and stood. Moving around the coffee table she approached the large creature, suddenly nervous and shaky. She hoped he would not become angered if she hurt him in her attempt to help him. He looked at her a moment, as several emotions played across his face. She was amazed how easily she could read his emotions, they were no different from her own. The eyes were very expressive and told her how he was feeling, even when she could not read it in his features.

Slowly again, she turned around to grab a handful of gauze squares, and faced him again. He was still looking at her, but tilted his head down for her to have easier access to the cut. She daubed away the excess blood and began to make the first stitch. It was slow going at first, she had not done stitches in years. But soon she had regained her confidence and the stitches were done faster. This despite the fact that she had to wipe down the wound three and four times for each stitch. After an hour she had completed the ten stitches that were required to close the gash, the creature had not jumped once during the whole procedure. She blotted the last of the blood away and stepped back, admiring her own work.

The creature reached his hand up, encountering the stubble where the stitches had been tied. Gui'Yata was troubled by this woman, he had expected her to be afraid, and she was, but she had enough control not to let that fear rule her.

He felt as if he was betraying his training, taking help from this clusu. At the same time he was relieved that she was willing to risk her life to spare him an agonizing death. In confusion he jumped up.

Courtney jumped back as he unexpectedly stood up. Her jaw dropped five inches when she saw how he towered over her. Heck he would tower over just about anybody she knew. Little did she know that he was short for his race. He walked around her to where he had thrown his mask, seeming to have a hard time finding it. He leaned over to pick it up, and Courtney saw him jump, and one hand went to the left side of his chest. He was still for a moment, as if waiting for pain to subside. He straightened and made his way back to the couch. Setting the mask of the table in front of him, he sat up straight, setting his fingers into slots on either side of his chest plate. Courtney watched silently as there was a quiet click, and the large creature gingerly lifted the plate over his head, setting it next to him. His fingers deftly moved over the left side of his chest. Courtney reached tentatively to touch his chest, and he looked at her a moment. He moved his hand out of the way and allowed her to check it. Her hand moved slowly over that side of his chest, counting mentally the twenty-four ribs. They were wide and flat, and it was hard to discern where one ended and another began. But as she came to about the twelfth rib she discovered the cause of his pain. The twelfth through sixteenth ribs were broken. She shook her head, there was still no real way to cast ribs, to allow them to heal. But she turned to where her supplies were still scattered on the table, picking up a wide roll of surgical tape and a pair of scissors. She cut equal lengths of tape, and one by one applied them to his ribs. The creature watched her curiously, as if this was never done, as well that may be. She supposed these types of injuries were left untreated in his society. Often times it was the same in her own, for the advisability of the treatment was often in question. When she finished she sat back looking at him, possibly for approval. He ran a hand over the strips of tape. He looked at her strangely again then continued his business as if she no longer existed to him.

He then reached to the table picking up his mask. He studied it intently for several minutes, then set it down. While he retrieved a tool kit from another armor compartment, Courtney picked up the mask and studied it. Where she had seen him disconnect the two hoses there was a fitting. The fitting had been flattened, probably when he was buried in the building. Gui'yata knew, each of the hoses carried a different gas to be mixed in the mask, his dizziness was the result of the crushed fitting, which made the mixture uneven. It was similar to a human suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Courtney continued to study the mask, the inside of which was set up intricately, to her it looked like...

"This looks like some sort of complex oxygen mask!" She exclaimed, "And this is where you get your air." She pointed to the fitting, then covered her face to signify the mask, taking an exaggerated breath.

Gui'Yata glanced at her and nodded.

She continued, "So, you were suffocating because the line was crushed and there were no vents. Tch, that's the only poorly designed piece of equipment I have seen in your possession! It still beats what we got."

She put it up to her face and looked through a lense, they being too widely spaced for her to see through both.

Everything turned to colored shapes, each color significant to the amount of heat in an object.

"Infrared, very effective. What's your vision like normally?" she asked pointing at her eyes.

He shook his head negatively, giving a thumb down.

"Not good? Augmented and filtered through the lenses of the mask." she mused to herself. That explained his minor difficulty in moving around the room.

He held out his hand and motioned, Courtney handed the mask back to him, when she realized that was what he wanted. He quickly removed the fitting and replaced it with a spare from his small box of tools. He then did the same to the hose coupling. He looked closely at the structure of the mask. It was badly twisted in the back, and the left crown was flattened. Both requiring tools he did not have available to repair. But the seal was still intact, and did not give him any discomfort. He guessed it would suffice until the hunt was finished. He set it down again as he stood and again donned his chest armor. When he had resealed the latches, he set the mask on his face, hooking it up, he took a deep breath. Courtney found herself holding her breath, she let it out when she saw that he was breathing normally. He began a singsong of trills clicks and burbles. The sound was fluid, obviously his language, having heard similar earlier. He sounded satisfied with the work. He glanced at the coffee table and he abruptly cut off his banter.

Gui'Yata then picked up what used to be his computer. It was still stained with blood. He opened it anyway, examining the remains, hoping beyond hope. He touched several studs, but was met by no response from the device. He furiously threw it on the table, watching as more pieces flew from the wrecked instrument. There was no hope for it, no chance for a clean death if he was captured. No way of hiding from the prying eyes of prey. He spun grabbing the Disa roughly from the couch material.

It took him a few moments to calm himself. He told himself that he had probably been lucky that the device had not detonated when impacted. When he was feeling a little more objective, he continued checking over his supplies. He was now glad that he had not been killed, for now the hunt could go on. Thanks to the diminutive woman who dwelled here.

He touched a switch on the side of his helmet and the plasma cannon responded, sliding out over his left shoulder. He panned back and forth making sure the gun would still track by line of sight. He again touched the switch sending the gun back into hiding. There was one hose that dangled from his left arm, the hose that had been connected to his arm computer. He made quick work of it, cutting it off just below his shoulder pad.

He then picked up his sraha, strapping it to his right arm. Flexing several times he protracted and retracted the knives, checking their sharpness.

He realized then how quiet the other occupant of the room had gotten. The woman looked frightened again, Gui'Yata thought as he turned back toward her.

"The hunt is on, huh" she said quietly, "I know what you are." Panic beginning to rise inside her. She had not thought about his reason for being on Earth, not since he had become conscious. He had seemed nothing like the stories she had been told, her curiosity probably blinded her. But now, she realized that she might have made a fatal mistake. She might just lose her life for it, he was the hunter, she, the prey.

He stood there staring at her a long time, though he did not seem to really see her. After about ten minutes he nodded imperceptibly, coming to his decision. He took a step toward her, she retreated reasoning that he was going to kill her, to cover his tracks. He reached up, and pulled off one of his ornaments. One of the metal ones. Before she could back away any further, he had grabbed her by the wrist. He was as strong as he looked, showing no weakness from his injuries. He pushed his thumb into her palm, forcing her to spread her fingers. He took the ornament and slipped it onto one of her digits. She looked even more shocked.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He mimicked her voice perfectly. Tapping on his chest he said, "Gui'Yata", dropping back into his usual grating voice, he made sure to enunciate, otherwise she would never understand.

"Courtney" She said mechanically, too shocked to move.

"Good-bye, Courtney." With that he slipped out the open window and climbed the wall to the roof. She was vaguely amazed at the ease in which he scaled the building.

"Good-bye." She said meekly. Suddenly she felt as if she had been out in a hurricane. She was confused, still trying to calm her racing heart. That was the biggest emotional roller coaster ride she had been on since she left her husband.

"You're a lucky bitch, Courtney" she said sighing.

She plopped heavily onto the chair. Then she looked at the ornament Gui'Yata had given her, as a ring it covered her index finger up to the first knuckle. It was intricately carved, with laser precision. It was a picture of a planet and what looked like two brilliant suns. On the other side of the ring was a symbol, one she suddenly remembered seeing on his helmet. This was his home she thought with certainty. It was unfortunate that she would not truly appreciate the gift's significance.

Gui'Yata climbed swiftly to the top of Courtney's apartment building, and gaining the ledge stood, facing the north. He remained there momentarily, feeling the stiff breeze pull at his locks, tug at his lacing, feeling himself sway in time with its rhythms. He stripped off his armor, letting the wind kiss his bare flesh. It was invigorating, stripping him of that caged feeling, he was free, and alive. There was no one to watch over him this time, to restrict his actions; his first hunt away from the pack.

He challenged the rising moon, his howl an eerie counterpoint to the sounds of the city; listened as the feral dogs joined in the haunted chorus. His blood burned, in anticipation of the hunt, wanting the high of the kill.

He reined in that impulse, not tonight, it would have to wait. Pain still gnawed at his nerves, his ribs still ached, a injury he had no device to cure. He ran his hand over the tape still on his chest. The human Courtney had done an excellent job, binding them tight to keep them from moving. It restricted movement and breathing, but it was better than the alternative.

His brows knitted beneath the mask, She had saved him from certain agonizingly slow death. Had done her best with her limited knowledge to patch his broken body together. Yet he was now to prove himself by hunting her kind.

He shook his head angry at such thoughts. They were clusu, it was his right to the hunt, his place among his peers depended on this. He felt as though he needed to make up for his brothers' failure. He had marked the woman as spared from the hunt, his honor was upheld, he need not lament the deaths of the others who would fall before him.

He centered his thoughts holding tightly, desperately to that last notion, and stepped down off the ledge. He gathered his gear together and retreated to a semi-sheltered corner of the rooftop. He set his gear into the niche, and curled up against it to conserve heat. Even though his race could stand temperatures as low as thirty degrees Fahrenheit, cold temperatures could still slow their body functions. Traits that still bound them to their cold-blooded ancestors. They were at their optimum in hot weather. Even the hottest days had cold nights, however.


	5. Return to the Hunt

Chapter Four: Return to the Hunt

Chapter Four: Return to the Hunt

Courtney reluctantly returned to work, more than a little disconcerted of the events of the night before. She stood on the brakes, as a blockade became visible, as though from thin air. She looked around with confusion, watching as police directed traffic away from the demolition site. She jumped out of the company van running up to the police lines, totally confused. She saw Paul standing off to one side and headed toward him.

"Paul...Paul! What's going on?"

"You didn't hear? Last night shortly after you left there was another body found in the rubble."

"There was someone else in there when it blew?" Courtney said shocked, "You really did your job, didn't you!" he had an exasperated look on his face.

"He was dead long before we blew it, at least that's what the police said."

"That's no excuse for..." she started to protest, but he continued.

"From what I gathered he'd been dead over twelve hours. Whoever killed him had a sick sense of humor, he was bound, hung upside down, then beheaded. They found no evidence of his head anywhere in the wreckage."

"What?" Courtney snapped, her face turning colorless, that vague story told by a friend suddenly becoming vivid reality. Gui'Yata had come here for the hunt, that was obvious now, a body in the same building made it all too clear. But why had he not hurt her?

Paul continued to babble but Courtney did not hear him, she was lost in her thoughts.

"Nice ring," Paul said suddenly, lifting her hand to get a better look at it. She snatched it back quickly, "Where did you get it?"

"A...friend gave it to me." she replied, suspiciously.

"But it's so big, isn't that uncomfortable?"

"It was made for someone with large hands. It has sentimental value." she lied. He was acting extremely strange, and why was the police so willing to tell him about the body?

Just before dark that day, Gui'Yata found himself back at the construction site. He had come to see what he could salvage of his equipment, hopefully he would recover his trophy bag. He probably should just leave it. Unfortunately he could not bring himself to do that, not with his first trophy, no he needed it back. His head still swirled with an inner conflict, debating about how proper it was to hunt these creatures. He moved on automatic through the rubble while his thoughts warred.

Juarez staggered through the remains of the neighborhood tortured by the demons brought on by his drugs. He lashed out with the Bowie knife, slicing air, the demons taunting him for missing. They had led him here promising relief, promising sanctuary, but demons lie. He would get them, he silently vowed.

Gui'Yata poked through rubble unsure where exactly he had been when he was found. He wandered until he came to a place that looked familiar, yes, he was sure this time. This was the spot, there was the slab that had pinned his arm, the blood still registering, and he ran his hand down the rod. It brought memories of the pain and he quickly drew back. His equipment should be just South and East of this position.

He moved to where the approximate spot was and began searching the rubble in earnest. He would be doubly pleased if he could recover the heater.

Juarez froze when he saw the demon scrounging around the rubble. The other apparitions still flew around him and he lashed out trying to get them out of his view of the large one. That was their leader, his demented mind told him, the one who ordered this torture. He would pay him back in kind, he promised. He staggered that direction, his muddled mind putting together a plan.

Gui'Yata clicked happily, he had located it, but he was going to have to crawl under the rubble to get at it. He removed his mask and set it at the side of the small hole. He did not want to get it caught on something backing back out, it was not exactly form fitting, especially twisted as it was. He crawled in the confined space, suddenly claustrophobic, this was too much like when he had been trapped. He grabbed the bag, and the heater that was, luckily, right next to it and quickly backed out of the hole, not wanting a repeat of the night before.

Clearing the hole, he was about to stand when an arm wrapped around his throat, and a knife was plunged low into his chest where the armor ended.

Gui'Yata roared in outrage, and pain.

"Die demon, die! You'll torment me no more!" Juarez ranted, twisting the knife in the wound. Gui'Yata staggered to his feet the deranged man dangling from his neck. He felt flesh tear as the man used the knife as a handhold.

Gui'Yata had no advantage to use a weapon, but he had no need. With practiced ease Coysa would have been proud of, he settled his chin into the crook of the mans arm, using his mandibles to grab it and pulled it closer. He used his second jaw to bite down, listening to the man scream. The bone snapped easily, and the mans grip slackened. Gui'Yata elbowed him hard, as he released his hold on the arm, listening to him land heavily against a pile of rubble. Humans were so very frail!

He turned to face this unexpected assailant, spitting blood and bits of flesh from his mouth. He could taste the traces of drug in his blood, his racing heart and body heat told Gui'Yata that the man was suffering from delusions. His mandibles continued cleaning his jaws of blood and flesh as he approached the man. He slowly pulled out the knife from his chest. He looked at it a moment before sticking it in his belt. He lifted the man up to his level, drawing his hand across the wound, using the blood to trace a line across the mans forehead with green iridescence. He set the man down. Juarez was terrified, never had his delusions been so real.

"You have five seconds to get out of here..." he said, and the man nodded dumbly, turned and ran, staggering out of the area. Gui'Yata shook his head as the man was retreating, cursing his bad luck in all the languages he knew. With this kind of luck perhaps he should just stop the hunt now, before he actually did get killed. He pulled the Bowie knife out of his belt and examined it, shook his head again, and repacked it.

Juarez went immediately to the doctor, telling a frightened tale of the demon that had bit him. He was a regular patient here and always had a good tale to tell about how he had come to be injured. The doctors humored him, listening to his stories, they all knew he was an addict. This, however, was something they could not explain to save their lives. It resembled a pit bull bite, one of the few dogs strong enough to break bone the way this was. The teeth pattern did not match though, they more resembled a snakebite. That did not make sense either, because the snake would have to have been forty foot to have a mouth that large. Snake of that nature, boas and pythons, did not have fangs or the power to break a man's arm. It was unlike any injury they had ever come across. The stripe across his forehead was an enigma, it had been washed at least five times but would not do so much as fade. Juarez would never realize just how lucky he was to survive that attack, Soua did not normally give warnings.

Courtney arrived home shortly after eight, looking forward to a hot meal and a warm bed. As she approached the door, her brain screamed that something was wrong. On closer inspection she found that the door was ajar slightly. Setting her bag just outside, she quietly pushed the door open, listening intently for any unfamiliar noise. It was dusk outside, and hard to see, but the contents of her apartment were definitely scattered to the four winds. 

"Jesus!" she exclaimed quietly, regaining her voice.

After making a quiet, but thorough inspection of the apartment, she set herself to the chore of finding out what was absent. The clean up took most of the night, and she was amazed when she found nothing of value had been taken. It was what was missing that puzzled her. The creatures' armband, which she had stuffed in a drawer in the bedroom, was missing. As was the gauze from the trash can, the same one she had used to bandage its arm.

She thought at first that maybe, Gui'Yata had come back and taken it, to conceal any evidence of his presence on Earth. She ruled that out however, he would not have used the front door. But the question remained, who had taken the stuff, and why?

The scientists were busy studying the chemical make up of the blood of the alien. Storen's people had taken it from the women's apartment, it was needed in order to make an effective tranquilizer. They found it to be high in antibodies and an equivalent of white blood cells. That was good news, it meant that the creature was injured and possibly weak. 

He had brought the computer too, they might be able to pry some information from it. They were instructed to be very careful lest they trigger the self-destruct mechanism. If nothing else they might be able to decipher an electronic pattern and use it to track the creatures movements more easily, in future visits.

Paul stepped in to see how the studies were progressing, when a man named Santos interrupted him.

"We seem to be doing extremely well this time." Paul said as Santos approached.

"Yes, very well. Though your target seems to have eluded you. We're still a step behind it."

"We will get him, I guarantee that. One of the workers at the site has had contact with the creature." Speaking as if that was news.

"About that, no offense, but why don't you just interrogate the girl? You know it was there in her apartment, she might know where it went."

"Are you kidding, if I even mention it, my covers blown. She will provide more information without knowledge of who I am. Besides the creature was not there long, she was probably gone when it left, otherwise she wouldn't have been at work today."

Santos and Paul smiled at each other, realizing the black humor in that statement. They would not have really cared if she had been killed. That would be one less loose end to tie up when this was all over.

Officer Cortez checked in at the desk, to be allowed onto the police target range. He ran a hand through his graying hair smiling at the guard minding the store. He looked down at the paunch starting to hang over his belt, thinking that he was going to have to change his ways. His lifestyle was getting much to sedentary. He was buzzed through, and was assaulted with the sound of echoed gunfire. He put his bafflers on to cut out some of the noise and entered in earnest. He took one of the closer open targets. There were five other officers in here practicing.

He laid his .45 semi-automatic on the counter and set three clips next to it. This was the way he measured his reaction time. He took a deep breath to relax himself, then quickly grabbed the gun slammed in a clip, chambered the first round, and began firing, all within about five seconds. He watched as a neat hole formed in the center of the target. He nodded satisfied, at forty he still had it. He ejected the spent clip and laid the gun back down. 

He repeated the test, firing only two rounds before he saw the blue flash, and heard the scream. He watched in disbelief as an officer two targets down fell in what seemed slow motion. There was a cauterized hole where his chest had been. Cortez slammed himself into the wall behind him, his eyes darting wildly. What was going on? Where did the attack come from? Several of the other officers had followed his lead, in staggered positions along the wall. The other two were firing into the rafters in the general direction of the attack.

Out of nowhere came a flash of movement, it decapitated one of the officers still firing. On its return arch it severed the left arm of another officer from behind. As it headed back into darkness, Cortez fired after it. They could not see into the rafters, the lights of the range not reaching that high.

The officer closest the door panicked, trying to exit the premises. Cortez watched in horror as the door and the cop exploded.

Gui'Yata was quite enjoying this, even without his cloak he had been able to sneak in this facility and hunt these men without them knowing he was here, until it was too late. He surveyed the two remaining officers. One, the one against the wall, which would be today's trophy. Gui'Yata returned his attention directly below, the other officer was approaching his present position. Gui'Yata lithely and silently changed stands in behind the officer, and aimed the constricting net at the man who now headed away from him. Cortez saw the tip of the weapon, peering out of the rafters, and fired at it, as he yelled his warning to the other officer. Cortez's aim was true and pinged off the weapon as the net left it's receptacle, it threw the aim of the weapon off slightly, but not enough.

The top edge of the net caught the officer just above the knees, the bottom most bolts catching hold in the ground. The officer was thrown to the ground, allowing the remaining bolts to catch. The man screamed, trying to pull himself free. He got out, but his legs remained trapped in the net, the remaining stumps pouring his life out on the floor.

Cortez was retching, trying to shut out the pitiful wailing of the injured officer. This was horrible, nothing he had seen in all his years as a cop, had been this hideous.

He began to slink toward the shattered door, praying that he would make it, whispering a mantra, "Please oh please, please..."

He stopped hearing a scuffing sound, barely audible over the screams, he strained to pinpoint its location. It came again, Cortez's heart sank. He swallowed hard looking up. Standing above him, half lit by the pale reflected light, was the most frightful apparition he had ever seen. He was not given the chance to run from it. 

Gui'Yata sank his spear into the human, down through his mouth into his chest cavity. He yanked up hard, pulling Cortez into the rafters like an angler with a fish. He gutted, and skinned the last body, before taking his trophy, just to see how fast he could do it. He then set about leaving his gory mark.

Gui'Yata had gotten out of the room just as the startled guard outside the range had fought through the rubble that was once a door. He climbed out the vent to the roof, his prize strung over his shoulder. Making a moonlight dance across the rooftops to his hideout, he howled in exaultation. It was a harder hunt without his cloaking device, but he was getting immensely more pleasure from the experience. It took real cunning to stay hidden, and he felt the rewards were worth the extra effort.

During a break from her chores, Courtney fixed herself a quick dinner, and sat down in front of the TV to catch the news.

"Today, police are looking for the person, or persons responsible for a massacre at the downtown police target range. Five officers were killed and another mangled..."

As the reporter kept talking, footage of the carnage was shown in the inset, the picture was small but the slaughter was clear. Six bodies were strung up in front of the range targets, like prize turkeys. Two were headless, one of which held his heads in their hands, tied there so as not to fall out. The second of the headless duo was completely stripped of skin and the guts lay in a pile on the floor. Still another looked as if a grenade had gone off in his chest. A steadily dripping shirt held what was left of another officer. Two still lived and Courtney caught a glimpse of a man whose arm had been severed, carried away in a blood soaked stretcher. The other officer to survive the slaughter had been strung up by his shoulders. His legs three quarters of the way down the thigh were missing, and his head lolled on a neck to weak to support it. His eyes were wide with horror. The investigating officers were stepping through a pool of blood several inches deep. God, Courtney thought, why did the news have to be so graphic? She found herself unable to finish dinner. Whoever had participated in that slaughter definitely had a very sick sense of humor.

"This update; Officer Darsey one of two survivors of this attack has just died. Darsey twenty-one...." they rambled on as she headed for the kitchen.

She took her plate back to the kitchen, setting it in the sink as something dawned on her. The way the bodies had been strung...two missing their heads...her eyes went wide. Gui'Yata! She rushed back to the TV, studying the carnage. She had never realized what a destructive force Gui'Yata was, but now faced with the grim reality...and she had let him loose on the city!

"Jesus, what have I done?" she whispered. She caught a glimpse of a government agent moving through the horrid scene, and she gasped. He was a man that looked all too much like Paul. What the hell was he doing involved with this? She shook her head, there was no way it could be him, and her imagination must be working overtime. Her life was turned upside down already, she did not need this as well.

When the police finished their investigation, and opened the construction site, Courtney was more than glad to get back to a semi-normal day. 

She delved into her work, clearing rubble with zeal. When she finally took a break at lunch she was drenched in sweat. But she felt better than she had in days, all her worries had gone away with her labors. She felt she was just waking from a nightmare.

She made her way to the lockers, but paused at the phones, hearing Paul's voice.

"Yes, I'm positive...How? It gave her a gift...a ring, real precision craftsmanship, not of any metal from Earth...No, I'm sure...no, its not man-made...Hm? It was an image of a planet...no, not Earth..."

Courtney plastered herself to the wall, he was talking about her! Her hand went to the ring.

"Yes I've already forwarded the location to you...yes, sir, Griffith park...I know it'll be a bitch to locate, its really overgrown. If we don't move soon we'll lose them all...Yes sir...Thank you sir..."

Courtney slipped away quickly, who was this guy? Who was he talking to and why were they after the alien?

The pieces were beginning to fit. Paul's incompetence at demolition, his intense interest in her "Patient". The police cooperation, the strange questions about the ring. Hell, he probably even had her apartment trashed. But that did not answer who he was and what he wanted with Gui'Yata.

If she ever saw the creature again, she would have to warn him about this, if he would even understand her. She paused in that train of thought. It was killing people, without compunction, without mercy, for any other reason than to kill. Was he any better than the drug dealers and crooks who also killed for fun? No, she should let him be captured, killed, what ever these government cronies wanted with him. Then the massacres could stop.

"Right, only to be replaced by some human produced carnage." She countered sarcastically. She shook her head, again changing her mind. 

She could not just arbitrarily hand over the aliens life, she felt somehow obligated to give him a forewarning of the target on his back. Even with that decision made, there was very little chance of their paths crossing again. She had seen nothing of him in the two days since he had disappeared from her apartment.


	6. Weighty Decisions

Chapter Five: Weighty Decisions

Chapter Five: Weighty Decisions

Courtney plodded along the street, not seeing the faces in the crowd around her. Where her day had started with pent up energy, it ended with her feeling spent. She was tired, driving a tractor in the heat had taken her spirit. Her mind was working overtime on what Paul might have in mind for the alien she had spared.

She dodged a few people and made for the entrance of the subway. She descended heavily into the station, marveling in the back of her mind at the worn marble steps that had been new only seven years ago. The landing was positively noxious, smelling of urine, old beer, and the sweat of hundreds of bodies. This place fit right in with her mood, down right depressing.

The landing was empty, as it usually was this time of night, which was good and bad, the people wandering around this time of night were not exactly the types you wanted to run into. Courtney leaned on a nearby pillar, and waited impatiently for the next train. The sooner she got a shower the better she would feel. She tried to shut out the noise from the street above, which echoed off the subterranean walls making it nearly unbearable.

Gui'Yata made his way toward the tunnel's entrance. He had heard the human enter the station, and peering out from his hiding place, he sized up the possibilities.

One human, standing against a pillar, but there was something...the glow that filled his vision. He slumped disappointed, it was the female Courtney. The metal of the band she wore was unique in the way it registered in Soua vision. It was not that it generated heat, it was just a property of the metal that made it register as a bright yellow. They were sometimes used to mark special quarry, or in this case, to identify one to be spared from the hunt. The purpose of the marker was differentiated by where the marker was worn. Special prey was tagged in the neck.

He sank back into the shadows, frustrated, he had been hoping for some sport. But Yanah was her protector, and it protected her from the hunt. Shortly he heard more voices, approaching from the levels above. He slinked back toward the light of the subway.

Courtney looked up, not caring, at the group of kids coming onto the landing, as long as they left her alone...

The group was talking excitedly, if rudely, but fell into silence when they noticed the good-looking woman standing by herself. Their leader swaggered up to Courtney, looking her over. His buddies giggling like schoolgirls in the background.

"Hey! Hey! Get a load of this!" He smirked, elbowing his nearest companion, "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? Alone? Don'cha know the subway ain't safe?" He ran a hand suggestively up her arm. She tried not to shiver, looking contemptuous, disinterested.

"Well...why don't we, UH...just escort her home?" his buddy said, a malicious smile on his face.

"Yeah, our home!" Another crowed.

"Yeah," The leader said flicking a switchblade, "Why don't we?"

He rushed Courtney, knocking her to the floor, and straddled her prone body, a gargoyle's smile twisting his face.

Courtney struggled, hitting, kicking, anything in an attempt to get out of his grip, she tried to use her street fighting skills, but was sorely out of practice. Her struggles made the boy angry, and he began to beat her. She held back her screams, not about to give him any more satisfaction.

Gui'Yata growled, appalled at the scene before him. Why were humans so bent on hurting each other? He watched as the punk put the knife to Courtney's throat, to put a stop to her struggles. Gui'Yata knew he was going to have to move quickly before they actually hurt her. 

Normally he would not have cared, but Yanah bound him to keep her out of danger. But it went beyond duty, he felt a sort of affection for her, his brave little savior. The only human to face him in all his fury and not back away. It was strange for a Soua to feel that way, but he did not dwell on it as he prepared to help her.

He silently released his raspa from its storage. Then shifted it to his left hand, and protracted the blades of the sraha. This was going to have to be excellent timing. There was no room for carelessness, he had no cloak to hide his presence. Missing could mean Courtney's death, and that was unforgivable.

With lightning speed he burst from the shadows. In a blur he slashed the throat of the man straddling Courtney, and with the remaining momentum impaled two of the closest hoods, all before he was ever seen. Shock value had its advantage.

Then he was in the thick of the group, and Gui'Yata was at his best infighting. He quickly dispatched two more, using the close quarters to good advantage.

Another turned and ran, frightened by the ferocity of the creature's attack, but did not get far, Gui'Yata let the raspa fly. It accelerated to 120mph before it struck, and both it and the body were carried into the far wall.

Gui'yata found himself relishing the sport, becoming caught up in his blood lust.

Courtney painfully pushed herself off the ground, she was going to be black and blue for quite a while. She became aware slowly of the clamor and tried to focus on what was happening. She looked next to her and jumped, the punk who had beat her lay there lifeless, blood creating a bright spot on the drab cement.

She wondered a moment about what had just happened, then looked up at the knot of bodies just a few feet away from her. The creature stood head and shoulders above those he was fighting. "Gui'!" she exclaimed, but he did not hear her. He had saved her life, solidifying her next decision, "This is your chance," she thought, "You've got to get him to stop the hunt, before they catch up with him. But...How?"

She looked around, noticing a gun on the ground next to one of the lifeless men. She picked it up and inserted herself between the few remaining gang members and the enraged alien.

In his frenzy, Gui'Yata did not recognize the diminutive woman pointing a pistol at him, as the woman he had just saved. She aimed without flinching, and Gui'Yata swung for her, but the rings glow cut through his blood lust and snapped him back. He realized that it was Courtney, and took great pains to avert the knives arch. The knives clanged ominously off the wall, leaving a two inch deep scar. Courtney tried not to jump at the sound, breathing a sigh of relief that he had missed.

Gui'Yata stood to his full height, as Courtney lowered the gun.

Someone yelled from behind, "Are you crazy? He'll kill you!" and "Kill it", these the same people who had no compassion for her plight.

She stepped closer to the creature, "Gui'Yata," She said quietly, "you must stop, there are people after you! Your trophy room is full, you have no more need to hunt." there was a steady rumble coming from the alien.

There was a sense of urgency in her tone, as if there was going to be trouble. Gui'Yata sheathed his claws, to the shock of the cringing men behind Courtney. He was frustrated, despite the nervous tone of her voice. He was not at all appreciative of this interruption of his hunt.

In a swift movement, he grabbed Courtney by the collar. Lifting her up to his eye level, level with that disconcerting mask. The people behind the two screamed, and Courtney's eyes were wide with terror.

"Courtney," He growled quietly, almost hissing, "You're crazy."

He set her down gently and turned away. "Was that a 'yes' or 'no'?" she asked loudly, giving release to her anxiety. He retrieved the raspa and kicked the impaled corpse in disgust as it fell to the floor. He leaned down grabbing the lifeless gang leader by the ankle, and dragged him off into the darkness of the tunnel. He was not giving up this kill, his last trophy.

Paul peered down from the top of the stairwell, watching the Predator retreat into darkness. He had followed the girl from the demolition site on a hunch, and it seemed it had paid off. When he was sure that he could move unnoticed, he slipped past the shocked teens and Courtney.

Courtney shuddered, trying to calm her heaving stomach. She was not sure whether it was the thought of what he did to those he chose as trophies or for the fact that, for a split second, she thought that Gui'Yata would actually kill her. She had been so sure in the knowledge that he had not hurt her before. For a moment, seeming suspended in time, she had thought she had guessed wrong. She was so caught up in her emotions, Courtney did not notice the shadow that crept by her, headed the same direction as the predator.

She turned and glanced at the huddling teens that had once been a gang. They stared at her with a mix of confusion and awe. 

She shrugged, "My bodyguard." she stated as she turned and left the subway. She had decided she would walk home, suddenly taking the subway was much less appealing than it had been. She was not to get far, however.

Paul crept up on the creature, his stomach knotted with excitement and fear. This is what he had been trained for, but he could not help feeling small and under powered against the creature. He paused a moment, letting the Predator get a little further ahead with its prize. No use in letting him within arms reach able to reach him. Paul raised the gun and fired, the dart hit its intended target, the leg just above the knee. The Predator spun screaming in rage, a sound made worse by the echo of the tunnel. The noise stopped and the creature pulled the dart out of his leg, as Paul shook out his ringing ears. The creature started toward him. Pauls eyes went wide in fear, what had he done? He fired again and again, hitting the creature twice in the chest and missing the third shot. As the tranquilizer started to take effect, the creature sank to his knees. It reached toward him, sharp claws outstretched, but seemed to change its mind, twisting to face the other direction, attempting to escape the human and his gun. 

As Courtney topped the stairs she heard the shot, it was flat, like a shotgun. She bound back down the stairs, fearing the worst. She ran past the teens that in their panic tripped over each other trying to get out of the station. She heard a faint and familiar roar and three more shots reach her from the darkness, hastening her trip.

Gui'Yata crawled away from the human, every inch of his body on fire. He had let his frustration blind him, he had not heard the human come up behind him, did not even know he was there until the dart was in his leg. He felt sluggish, a tranquilizer, he growled feeling betrayed. He turned back toward the man, who was grinning with assumed victory. Paul raised the gun again. 

"Paul!!", Courtney yelled her filched gun trained unwavering on him, "Get away from him." Gui'Yata looked sluggishly at her, then continued to crawl away, while their attention was elsewhere.

Paul, spinning around, laughed disbelieving, "You? Your protecting that...that thing?" he paused, sneering with black humor, "I suppose it fits though. You're one of those who never could resist an animal in pain."

Courtney wanted to refute his comment but firmly bit it back. "Back away from him!"

"He's a killer Court', born, bred, and raised for the hunt. It's killed over twenty people, for trophies!" he went on trying to distract her.

"From the looks of the people he's taken I wouldn't say it's a bad thing." She squinted at him, she wanted to confirm her suspicions, "You seem to know a lot about this. Too much for a construction worker. You are after him aren't you? I knew there was someone after him!"

"You know, these creatures have a spectacular technology. This is the third try for us, over seventeen years of research. I'm not going to let some little piss-ant assistant manager of a demolition team stop me this time. We let Harrigan get in the way last time, it cost us six men and the alien. You've been in my way since this started, taking my prize away just after I had pinned him down. If it hadn't been for you, I'd have had him at the beginning. A lot of lives could have been spared. He would have been pliant, injured as he was. He would have sooner or later helped us. Now I've got him, and I mean to keep him. We're going to start a whole new science revolution." he paused squinting at her, "Do you know what we could do with some of this stuff?"

"Yeah, do more of what we're doing now...commit Genocide. You don't give a shit about those people he killed, as far as your concerned that makes the police's job easier, besides you aren't really so vain as to believe he'll cooperate! So why take him alive?"

She saw the fury in Paul melt away his preachers veneer. He brought the gun to bear on her, and she just barely had time to pull the trigger. Paul's body lurched back several feet, tumbling into a pile of dust, Courtney could not tell for sure, but he looked as if he was dead. She was not about to get near him.

Courtney stashed the gun in her belt, shuddered and moved to Gui'Yata's side. Somehow he had made it to, and propped himself up against the far wall. His movements were sluggish, feeble. The tranquilizer must have been powerful, she brushed away the darts that were still stuck in his skin. He was trying to remove his mask, but was too lethargic to get the hoses loose. Courtney finished disconnecting the lines and carefully lifted the scarred mask from his face.

He stared at her through half closed lids, that tranquilizer...Damn Paul, those shots were going to attract attention. She had to get him out of here, but how? She stood pacing the floor trying to think of a solution. She did not have a crane at her disposal this time, and she sure could not enlist any help. Frustrated, she gave up, she went to sit down next to the drowsy alien, hoping that he would recover enough to leave on his own, when she was pushed from behind. She fell hard, she recovered trying to come up with the gun, but it was gone.

She gaped, Paul, he was still alive. His left arm hung limply at his side, a gaping hole where his shoulder had been. She never said she was a crack shot. He had her gun, pointing it at Gui'Yata. He shot the motionless creature once, then twice.

"NO!!" Courtney screamed, but Paul ignored her.

"Gotta make sure," he raved, his glazed eyes burning with fanaticism, "We need him...yes, we need him"

In a quick motion Courtney rushed Paul, trying to get the gun away from him. Gui'Yata winced as he heard the shot, and watched as Courtney slowly sank to the ground. Her surprise was evident even in Gui'Yatas vision.

The man, Paul had a crazed grin on his face as he turned back toward the alien and began to empty the rounds into its chest. When the clip was spent Paul cautiously walked to where the still alien lay to make sure it was dead.

Gui'Yata was in pain. The tranquilizer kept it dull, but it was making it harder to concentrate. He made sure to lie very still, even as he felt the bullets rip into him. He wanted this human to think him dead, because he wanted him close. The human was going to pay with his life, for tonight's events.

Paul played right into it, leaning over Gui'Yatas prone form. Gui'Yata felt the mans breath, and moving more swiftly than he thought he could, grabbed Paul by the lapel, pulling him even closer to his face. In his fright Paul dropped the weapon, falling to his knees.

"You are one hell of a pain in the ass!" Gui'Yata stated, commanding the Sraha blades extended.

Paul screamed as the super sharp blades pierced his chest, and came out behind the collarbone. The knives cut into his cheeks, holding his head so he was forced to look at the enraged face of the alien. Gui'Yata yanked quickly growling satisfaction as both of the bones splintered with a loud crack.

He let Paul go who attempted to regain his feet. He instead lost his footing, spun on his heels, and landed across the already bloody torso of the predator.

Gui'Yata grabbed a handful of the humans hair and yanked his head back, looking down into frightened eyes.

"Good-bye!" Gui'Yata said with finality, laying Pauls exposed throat open, listening to him gurgle, as the blood filled his lungs.

He pushed the bloody body away from him, so disgusted that he did not even want the trophy. Courtney had been right, this hunt had gone on too long, his trophy room was full, and it was time to leave. Leave before he was no longer able too.

He looked groggily over to where Courtney lay, she was very still, and her body temperature was off. Then memory came back, the man had shot her. He berated himself for not realizing it right off.

With a grunt, Gui'Yata pushed himself off the ground. Will power and the solid support of the subway wall were the only things that kept Gui'Yata from falling over. He was groggy still, his head was clearing, but slowly, so slowly. The tranquilizer had been strong, but seemed to have no lasting effect on his metabolism.

Gui'Yata stumbled over to Courtney, clumsily kneeling beside her. Gently he rolled her over, she was still alive, her body temperature told him that, but the color was cooler than it should be. With the exception of the area around the wound. Pauls shot had caught her in the hip, and the temperature around it was brilliant red. The bone was shattered, he was sure. Gently he touched the flesh, it was very hot, and it brought a moan of pain from the woman.

She stirred, and started bolt upright, screaming at the agony in her hip. Gui'Yata gently pushed her down. Her fever-glazed eyes looked at him. She reached out and touched his chest, he jumped, as light as it was, it hurt.

"Y...You're bleeding again." she whispered. He encircled her hand in his.

"OK" he said quietly but firmly. He lay her hand on her chest, his gaze lingering on the band still on her finger. His promise of Yanah, some Yaner he was, not even able to protect her from her own. He felt helpless, for this was something that he was not knowlegable about. He pushed himself up, and went to retrieve the mask that still lay against the wall. He fought down a sudden racking cough, and spit the blood he found in his throat. He was bad, he thought as he wiped away the blood that had splashed on the inside of his mask, worse than he wished to admit. One of the slugs had found its way to a lung. Slowly he hooked the mask up to his face, regretting what he must do, but unable to think of any other course of action.

He would have to take her to Quarta, because Courtney was in shock, and she would die otherwise. Human doctors could not help her in time. His worry was how the others would react to his decision, whether they would allow him to help her. They did not take too kindly to Soua who took in hurt animals. Humans were animals.

He leaned down and slipped his hands under her body and gently lifted. She grimaced as her weight shifted.

"God Gui', it hurts!" She stated in a ragged whisper.

He looked down into her pain clouded eyes, "I know", was his reply. He was in pain himself, but could not let that stop him. The trip to the ship was not going to be easy for either of them.

He walked on through the darkness of the tunnel, this particular tunnel led to a place near Quarta, near enough to get them out of the city at least, and would cloak his route.

The trip seemed to take an unreasonable amount of time. Courtney faded in and out of consciousness, and her body temperature was getting steadily cooler. It goaded Gui'Yata into an unreasonable speed for his condition and he stumbled several times, almost dropping the precious cargo in his arms. When he finally came to the clearing he was impatient to get access to the med-facilities, before he could no longer make himself move. The Quarta materialized and opened a hatch to welcome him back. He rushed up the ramp, met halfway by the Quona and Koratan, their expressions clearly relaying their confusion. He stopped abruptly before them, asking brusquely to pass, too much in pain to bother with pleasantries. They did not move and Gui'Yata pushed past them, rushing to the soyara. He set her gently down inside the soyan, which immediately set to analyzing the humans make up. It was a medical pod, designed for use by many different forms of life. As was the Quarta, and its race.

Life forms such as Quarta did not originally belong to the Soua, nor were they the only race utilizing and being utilized by the large space going creatures. Quartas kind lived a symbiotic life with adopted races, which were allowed to use it as a craft, and home. In return they processed waste materials, as sustenance, they also enjoyed the companionship of other races, as well as making their own studies of the race. None knew the standard by which a race was chosen by the Taya, but they had been the flagships of the Soua for hundreds of years. Yet there were only four of them in the Soua's considerable fleet. They were able to create atmospheres, temperature, anything that made its adopted race comfortable. It would even go so far as to change its outer form, for either practicality or just for looks. They lived a millennium, Quarta alone had seen hundreds of generations of Soua come and go.

"You should not have brought her here!" her voice boomed inside his head. He flinched slightly as he opened his reception to her.

"I know this...", he said slowly, distantly, as if it did not matter what was thought of his action. In truth it mattered very little that he had broken taboo.

"You do not understand!" she emphasized, reading that thought, "The atmosphere here will poison her!"

He looked up at her nearest receptor startled, "But... you must do something! I cannot take her back, she would die before I return her... Do something!"

There was a pregnant silence and Gui'Yata could feel Quarta's soft mind touch, as she searched for a reason... any reason to constitute such a strong reaction to this human. Gui'Yata did nothing to resist, laying his mind open for her entry.

Soua as a people had a heightened sense of mental telepathy. Some able to receive only simple messages or warnings but unable to actively send messages or search out thoughts. At the other end of the spectrum, were those like Guy'Yata who could carry whole conversations without ever uttering a sound. He could speak both with the ship, and those of his kind who were near or surpassing his talent. A majority of the Soua floated in between those extremes, able to understand mental instructions of very complicated natures, but unable to hold a conversation wholly on the mental level.

Those with the highest ability were also the most well defended in thought and were able to hide what they wished from casual mind scans. A deep probe would reveal most but not all of what a Soua would hide. Those were reserved only for those suspected of wrongdoing.

Gui'Yata knew of several Soua who were of equal or greater talent than he, and he knew full well what a mind shield felt like, especially from his sibling. Korotan, since his Taurana, had been as guarded in thought as he had been in action.

"I see..." she hissed out in his mind, "I will do what I can." she felt his soul brighten, "But do not get your hopes up. Her injury is grave, and her physiology is new to me. I cannot be certain that my diagnosis will be accurate."

Gui'Yata watched as a tentacle slithered out of the wall nearest the young human, and made a small incision at the base of her throat. Another tendril inserted a small disc where the incision had been made, and sealed it in one motion.

"What is that?" he questioned ignorantly.

"It will filter the air of what is poisonous to her. The very gas which allows your kind to live."

As the time went on, Gui'Yata watched the tentacles slide over Courtney's gaping wound, in tired silence. He realized that it would not be long before he would be in need of a soyan. He had lost too much blood and expended too much of his remaining energy to recover on his own. He heard his brother slip into the room behind him, his motion and smell identified him. He turned slowly to face his sibling. Koratan looked disdainfully past his brother at the skinny little human female. He asked Gui'Yata if he was collecting pets now. If so he had picked an ill looking specimen. Gui'Yata chose to ignore him, turning back to the soyan, Koratan was trying to goad him into a confrontation. He vaguely wondered why.

Koratan crossed his arms leaning against the near wall. He told Gui'Yata that he would be doing it a favor to let it die. Gui'Yata leaned heavily on the soyan, anchoring himself, lest he do something rash. He heard the knives of Koratans sraha extend, as he commented that he would kill it himself, to put it out of its misery. Before Koratan knew what happened, he was pinned against the wall, his own sraha poised at his neck. A look of total rage crossed over Gui'Yatas face, warning his brother against such an act, before letting Koratan out of his grip.

Koratan watched in shocked silence as Gui'Yata returned to staring at the soyan's work. He slipped back out the door.

Gui'Yata sighed as the door shut, a throaty clicking sound, slumping to the ground next to the Pod. He just wanted to rest.


	7. Quarta

Chapter Six: Quarta 

Chapter Six: Quarta 

The unending silence finally stirred Courtney to consciousness. She blinked trying to clear her vision, she could not figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered was being in the subway, trying to get the gun away from Paul.

"Gui'!" She screamed, sitting bolt upright, and regretting it. The intense pain in her hip sent her head swimming. She fought it looking frantically for the alien. She found him slumped against the bench she was on. She leaned out of the soyan, shakily touching his arm. He did not look good at all, his skin was cold and wet.

"No." She moaned, "No, you can't die on me now. Not after all this."

She froze when she heard the hiss of the door, and stared saucer eyed as two very large Predators came into the room. They were of equal height, their only differentiation being their markings. They moved gracefully for creatures of such bulk. She pressed herself against the far side of the soyan dome, as they approached their unconscious comrade. They lifted him up and brought him around to a bunk identical to the one she was in.

It had never occurred to Courtney that Gui'yata may not have been the lone predator on Earth this trip. The thought of a ship full of these creatures hunting Los Angeles sent an involuntary shudder through her.

The creatures did not even acknowledge her presence, and went about their task with a single-minded purpose. That gave Courtney no comfort however, and she refused to move until the two unfamiliar aliens had deposited Gui'Yata in the dome bed and left the room. Not a sound had been uttered, but their sheer presence had kept her silent. That was her first glimpse of the average height the Soua reached, and she would not soon forget it.

She slid painfully slow off her bunk, unsure of how much weight her tender hip would take. She watched the door cautiously as she made her way unsteadily to Gui'Yata's side. He looked to her to be pallid compared to his normal coloration.

She shook her head fighting back tears feeling strange for her own reaction. She was trying to figure out how she could feel so close to this creature that was so very different. After all, she had only come across him twice the whole time he had been on Earth. She lay a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, Gui'", she said, looking down. She was startled at the light touch on her arm. Quickly she looked up, taking tight hold of his hand.

"Courtney...Ok?" He grated softly. She nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."

"These creatures have a spectacular technology...will be Ok." he mimicked. He was beginning to learn this English, beginning to understand more, now that he would have no more use for it.

Gui'Yata faded out again, but Courtney continued to hold on to his hand. She jumped away from his side when a tendril appeared from the wall and began to move over Gui'Yatas injuries.

"Please return to your pod," a voice said inside Courtney's head.

"Who?" Courtney asked confused, not sure she had heard the statement.

"Please, you can do nothing more for him. You are not nearly well enough to be up." The voice said. The voice was neutral, no indication of gender though it did not seem mechanically generated.

Courtney stood, losing her already uncertain balance, several tendrils quickly appeared and caught her fall. They supported her as she made her way back to her soyan. The walls here were like liquid, she thought, the tendrils were not restricted to the area where they appeared, they followed her movements easily. She lay back on the soyan, watching the still form of her comrade-in-arms, watched the tentacle slide quickly over his body, until sleep overtook her.

Courtney woke for her fourth time since coming aboard the ship. The formed sressra around her hip tingled and itched. The substance seemed to be turning up at the edges, and the two glowing bars had begun to change to purple. Her hip still hurt, but it was not so excruciating that she could not walk and it was healing fast, faster than she thought possible. 

It had been several days since Gui'Yata had been put in the soyara. That was only a guess, she was unsure how long she had been here. There was no change in the brilliance of the light in the room, and there was a constant humming. Time passed unchecked, Courtney kept wishing for her watch if only to keep her sanity.

She looked over at Gui'Yata, lying in the same position that they had put him in earlier that week.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked Quarta for probably the fiftieth time.

"He will be up in several days. These creatures heal fast, even from such serious injuries as your friend's." Quarta answered patiently. It was still disconcerting to have the ship talking directly into her mind. But with time she supposed she could get used to it.

"How can you speak to me? I mean, are you a computer? And where did you learn English?" she voiced her confusion.

"No, I am not a computer, I am a living being." it sounded offended, the closest thing she had heard to emotion in the voice, "I am Quarta, this ship. I am of the line of Gosu, of the Taya."

"What!" Courtney said incredulously, wanting to be open minded, but finding herself doubting Quarta anyway.

Quarta went on, "In order to treat you I had to analyze you. I had to include in my study your brain wave patterns, and I pick up dialects easily. English is a fairly simple language to learn."

Courtney snorted in spite of herself, "Maybe for you!" 

She paused as a thought took form, "Can... You teach me their language? Or translate for me?" she asked suddenly, not really knowing why, after all she was not staying long... was she? Anyway it would pass some of the dead time, Courtney was locked into, "I want to know what is being said to and about me."

Quarta agreed and began to teach her the nuances of the Predator language. Trying to differentiate between the clicks, coos and growls was at first very hard. But like jet noise, if you listened long enough each had a distinct sound. Courtney found as she learned that the language was very complex, very formal. Not only did vocalization make up a conversation, but inflection, poise, and hand signals. Trying to match a movement with a phrase particular to a rank, was difficult and time consuming. The more she learned the more she found that there was to learn. A twitch, positioning of the hands or posture could change the whole meaning of a phrase. That was a part of her society too, but here it was much more pronounced. A lot depended upon the ranks of those speaking to one another. She felt like she was trying to learn ten languages instead of just one.

During some of her training she found out just how highly regarded a Yanahara was. It was an honor that was not given often and certainly not without careful consideration. If it was given to a creature of a different race, then all that followed in a hunt on that planet were forbidden to harm the yanahara. The ship told her that was probably the only reason that some on aboard had not killed her. 

The ship was very blunt, and what it thought it spoke, it was disturbing sometimes, but she was grateful for its frankness. It could mean the difference between living and dying, in this strange and rigid culture.

Courtney knew she had been here a long time, for she was becoming more and more proficient at communicating with her "Hosts". She began to wonder whether they were still planet bound or whether they were streaming toward some unknown galaxy. She asked the question out loud.

"No we are still on Earth, as soon as you are well enough you will be allowed to go. The elders dislike the idea of even having you aboard."

"I can understand that."

The door slid away and Sayka entered with her meal. He set it down at the end of her soyan, and placed his hand on his chest as a sign of respect for her rank. She thanked him with a slight nod, stroking the back of her hand.

"You are getting better." Ship told her. 

Courtney was eating her xaca, a pale white meat served raw, when a Soua she had not seen before interrupted her. His coloration reminded her of Gui'Yata, he was taller though, and slightly thinner. And one of his arms was a sickly shade of green, the color of an infection. It moved naturally, and it did not look like it pained him, and she concluded that it probably was their version of a prosthetic device.

The Soua, the ship informed her, was Koratan, older sibling to Gui'Yata.

"I thought you said there was no such thing as family bonds?" she thought, knowing Quarta could hear.

"Theirs is a special case. They have been very close since they were young, and were taught under the same teacher."

Koratan did not even address her, but if she read his poise right he hated every fiber of her being. Holding his tongue only out of protocol for her standing. He walked to Gui'Yata's soyan and touched his arm. When he did not respond, he growled a question to the walls.

"How soon before he is well?" Was what Courtney deciphered, the ship obviously gave him an answer, because he nodded, "Quona requests his presence as soon as he is able."

On his way out he paused before Courtney, looking her over. His intense look made her feel dirty. He gave her the sign of reverence just before stepping out the door. But the way it was given was anything but.

Courtney sat frozen for a long time after Koratan left. She was more scared now than she had been when Gui'Yata was preparing himself for the hunt in her apartment.

She was so numb that she did not see the stirring from Gui'Yatas soyan. She started when he pushed himself into a sitting position, holding his left shoulder. Then she noticed for the first time the scar on his chest, four parallel marks, very thin, like knife cuts. It disappeared up into the shadows under his chin. It had been long healed and looked to her like a battle scar.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she slid off the soyan. The pressure on her still tender hip made her wince. Leaning heavily on the wall for support, she slowly made her way to his side. He glanced at her as she came up, his features twisted in a mask of pain.

"How do you feel?" she asked him in Sou.

A look of disbelief and confusion crossed his face, "Who taught you..." He asked in his native tongue, to see if she understood.

"Quarta. How do you feel Yaner?" she said again.

"Sore... I will heal." he replied brusquely, standing unsteadily.

"Where are you going?" she asked frantically.

"To the Quona, he requests my presence."

"Your in no..." he was out the door before she could finish her sentence.

He found his way to the Quonas chamber by rote, still weak, and not yet fully recovered. But the Quona was not to be kept waiting, not even for illness.

He paused before the entrance, composing himself, he could show no weakness now. The doors parted and Gui'Yata stepped inside.

Quona was seated on the floor among a pile of furs from various animals. Trophies lined all of the walls, from floor to ceiling. After all the Quona was over three hundred years old, that was a lot of time to hunt. He had seen corners of the galaxy that few had ventured into. That did not dampen Gui'Yata's reaction, he had never been to the Quonas quarters, and was more than a little awestruck by the collection.

The Quona made a noise that demanded his attention, bringing him back to the matter at hand. Gui'Yata placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly, as his sign of respect.

Quona nodded giving Gui'Yata permission to be seated.

"I have answered your summons Quona."

"I am disturbed by your outburst in the soyara." Quona started bluntly.

Gui'Yata muffled his look of shock. He wanted to scream his outrage, at the fact Koratan had taken it up to the council. But out of respect for where he was, he kept silent.

"What is this wounded human to you that you would risk exposure to bring her among us?" Gui'Yata noted quickly that he had said human and not clusu.

"She is my Yanahara, out of debt to her for my life, elder." Quona looked shocked but the expression was quickly gone, a detached, composed expression faced him now.

"And why did you attack Koratan, your own flesh?"

"He wished to harm her. I brought her here so that she would live. She would not have survived had she been left. Koratan tasks my patience with his hatred, I gave him a warning nothing more." Quona looked confused, the two had been close until now, suddenly they were at each others throats like enemies, Gui'Yata noticed this and explained, "There was a time when his words would have had meaning to me, there were no questions, no bitterness. But I have been there, I saw a side of the clusu I had never seen before, not in any clusu I have previously encountered. The only help I received was from this lone woman," He paused, closing his eyes at the sudden stab of mental anguish the growing gap between him and his brother brought, "His words are just hollow, spiteful accusations, tainted by bad experiences, and failed honor."

"Tell me of your hunt." Quona said dismissing the conversation for a moment.

Gui'Yata recounted his experiences in vivid detail, being trapped, then found by the woman. Of hunting uncloaked, of his success, and of becoming the hunted. How the woman had put herself in harms way to save him.

"I felt it was only honorable to assist her in return." he finished.

The Quona considered this for many drawn out moments, "Most Soua would have killed the woman... and made a dreadful error. Your intelligence honors you... had you not allowed her to live you may not have returned to us. We would have counted you with the rising toll of hunters killed on this planet."

Gui'Yata sighed heavily, as his guilt left him. He had been sure that the Quona would condemn his actions. To hear praise... he was more than slightly relieved. In fact it was more than he dared hope for.

"With your permission elder, I still do not feel up to my duties, I would take my leave and return to the Soyara." he finally revealed, knowing it was now acceptable protocol to admit his weakness.

He nodded, and Gui'Yata rose to leave, "You are the rule bender, Gui'Yata, a Sai. That hunting name fits you well." Gui'Yata nodded without turning to face Quona. Sai essentially meant lawless one.

"Yes elder, my ties to tradition are not so strong as yours."

"All things change, or stagnation sets in. I allowed this clusu's presence among us pending your explanation..." He sighed, "And I have allowed your Yanahara to recover here, now she must leave, before it is too late."

He looked at the elder sternly, with just a touch of confusion.

"We are being watched, stalked, Sai."

"What?" Gui'Yata said whirling around again.

"The clusu have gathered troops together in the forest. We have been observing them, taking down some of those who stray too far from the group. But they are too many to attack openly. You must get her off the ship, before these sasiyi become bold enough to attack us. Little do they know how futile that effort will be."

Gui'Yata nodded again and left the room.

Quona almost laughed to himself surprised that Gui'Yata had not picked up on the intense pride that Quona felt for the boy. He had called his grandson Sai, for grating against tradition, but really Quona was just as bad. Soua ties to their family were not strong, with very few exceptions. Most Soua did not keep track of their kin, for it was extremely hard. Females almost always chose two to six mates during one cycle, and it became almost impossible to tell who the child's father had been. Most did not care as long as they had contributed to the gene pool, and lineage was never discussed. Quona had been ridiculed most of his later years for such a childish fascination in knowing who his offspring were. His mates had been obliging to him, and informed him when the births had been his. Gui'Yata and Koratan's mother had been a favorite daughter, Yasi, a fierce warrior, and had been a key player in the war against the Foowa, who had tried to take over Soona. She had mated first to Gana and then to Rasawo, Gui'Yatas father. "She probably has had more in your absence," he smirked. 

Quona had been sure to leak the information to the two brothers, who were in the same creche, but only that the two of them were related. Gui'Yata was unaware of his blood tie to the Quona of the ship, however. Someday Quona would have to tell him. Gui'Yata was going to be an excellent Taura; someday he would be on a council and certainly he would be a Quona. His potential for being a leader far surpassed most of the young Soua he had seen train on this ship.

The watch commander peered from behind a tree, shifting to make himself more comfortable in his suit. He looked like something from an old outer space movie, silver and shiny, a reflective faceplate hiding his eyes. Restrictive uncomfortable, and hot to wear, but absolutely necessary considering their quarry saw any radiated heat.

One of them was out and about, pheromone scanners had picked him up, but he was nowhere to be seen. They had been warned that refracted light was used as camouflage. It was especially effective at night.

He passed the word and everyone was up in an instant. In two weeks they had amassed four hundred men, who surrounded the clearing, and most were anxious to see some action.

Paul Storen had pinned down the location of the ship and tracked the one creature on the hunt. He would not be here to see this victory though. They found Paul bled in a subway tunnel downtown. He had managed to wound the creature, before dying though. The blood trail had been easy to follow here. 

It puzzled him though, all their information suggested that there was only one creature away from the ship during any one visit to the planet. With their comrade back they should have left long ago, but they still sent sentries out, a definite sign that they were not yet ready to leave. The higher echelons of the group were confident in reasoning that they were totally invisible to the creatures' sensors. And therefore the creatures were comfortable with lingering a bit longer. He was not so sure however. It was as if they were delayed for some reason.

They had picked up several teenagers, scared out of their mind. Those kids had said that a woman had confronted the thing with a gun and it had not killed her. And that she had followed after it into the tunnels when they heard shots fired. A human aiding one of these creatures? Could there be a human on board? But why would that obligate them to stay? It was near impossible to even think about. And those of his rank were not privy to that sort of information, the information he knew came from rumors only.

Even worse was the feeling that the creatures seemed to know that they were here, despite their precautions. Every now and again one of their rank would disappear, or a piece of equipment would come up non-functional, sabotaged. But there had been no out and out attack, and the leaders had made an attempt, though not a strong one, at investigating the incidents.

His commander came up behind him, "You got one Gerard?"

"Yes sir. Five minutes ago, bearing mark one four two, heading away." he replied systematically.

"OK, get your team together. We are not going to be able to hold their attention long. You're going to have to get in there and strike quick. Do as much damage as possible, and bring me a prisoner."

"I'll do my best sir."

The team followed their unwitting target closely, their suits were working, and the creature had not noticed them. They were being sure not to make any noise, Keyes men made the mistake of thinking the creatures were deaf six years ago, and that got them killed.

The creature stopped, and Gerard's men froze, he was out in the middle of the clearing somewhere. Gerard wished he could see one just once.

They were awestruck when the behemoth ship materialized, it put an aircraft carrier to shame. A hatch opened and their Pheromone signal disappeared into it. They were so overcome that they waited just about too long. They were forced to scramble through as the hatch was closing.

"Sir, we're in." Gerard whispered over his com link, awed by the chamber they had entered. "Roger," The commander replied to Gerards report, "You heard him, open fire!"

A myriad of lights pulsed and chased behind the walls, carved like ancient Aztec architecture, bathing the chamber in the yellow-orange of sunset. Heavy gas was thick on the deck, wisping into their faces, causing them to stifle coughs. Methane, Gerard noted silently as he stood and motioned for the men to move. He tapped his camera and got a reassuring nod from the soldier with the recorder. Good, they would have several different records of what they would see in here. Each of them was mounted with a mini-cam, and all accounts would be recorded simultaneously on the disc, to be replayed later at the higher command discretion.

They slowly moved across the chamber, splitting up into predicated groups, each group taking one of the many hallways leading away from the chamber.

Courtney was just about to the edge of her sanity when Gui'Yata finally returned to the Soyan. She started into an enthusiastic greeting until she saw how he looked.

"I have to escort you off the ship now." He said without prompting, "There is danger."

She nodded suddenly panicky. Life would never be the same for her, now that she had been on this ship, in the presence of these aliens. She was more than a little scared to return to 'normal' life.

She moved like a zombie out of the room and down the hall, walking in front of Gui'Yata. Were she not so anxious she would have appreciated the alien beauty in the walls of the ship. They had not even reached the first junction in the hall, when the ship rocked wildly. Courtney was hard put to remain standing with her already precarious balance. As it was she had bumped into Gui'Yata.

"What was that?!"

He was listening to something she could not hear, "We are under attack!" he said with only a hint of apprehension, "It has begun."

That is when they both heard the howl, Gui'Yata recognized it as a war cry. He spun to face one of the newer Taura, Nodada charging the two of them, his eyes intent on the human.

"She has brought this on us!" he cried, swinging a four-foot blade over his head. He did not seem to notice Gui'Yata, aiming for Courtney's paralyzed form.

Gui'Yata sidestepped the tip of the sword, and used the butt of his palm against Nodada's chin. The Souas momentum grounded him as if he were clotheslined.

Gui'Yata stood defensively between her and the Soua who was shaking his head out. He looked quickly over his shoulder at her.

"Go." he said succinctly, "Get out, head for the entrance and get out."

"Which way!" she said confused and frightened, she did not know the layout. She had not been conscious when she had come aboard.

He was not looking at her now because Nodada was getting to his feet, "Down the hall, you will come to the main chamber. The largest doors are the exit, get out as fast as you can, and hide from the soldiers. I wish you well. Now... go!"

Her muscles felt as if they were trying to go two different directions, as she turned to leave the alien. 

As Courtney made her way down the passage she could hear muffled gunfire, she started as a man came flying around the corner, stopping abruptly in front of her. He trained his gun on her, but slowly lowered it in amazement and shock. His stance relaxed slightly.

"Who are you?" his muffled voice said, "What are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" she retorted, knowing he meant danger.

"We, we've come to destroy these creatures. I've got a contingency of men here."

"No!" Courtney said frantically pinning the man to the wall, "Get your people out of here. You don't know what your dealing with, they'll kill you!" the impact knocked off the mirrored hood. A shock of dark brown hair fell loose of the covering, a wide well boned face looked back at her.

His eyes searched her face, this lady was not all together sane.

"I'm taking you with me, I can't leave you here." She was in need of help. He could tell she had been aboard a while, they must have brainwashed her. For why else would she be walking freely on this ship. He roughly grabbed her arm.

"No!" she screamed, writhing to get out of his grip. But she was losing ground, the man was much stronger than she. He would have her outside within minutes. Her struggles increased. This was not what she had in mind when she was to leave the ship. She did not want to fall into the hands of these fanatics.

After temporarily dispatching Nodada, Gui'Yata sprinted down the hall after his charge, knowing there was more than one Soua who may try what Nodada had. He wanted to make sure she exited the ship safely. His instincts served him well, but not quite for the same reason. One of the soldiers had her, and was attempting to take her with him. This is not what he or the Quona had in mind, and he interceded.

The man stopped moving forward, and Courtney opened her eyes at the abrupt halt. The man's eyes were wide with horror. There was a large hand latched to his wrist, Courtney followed it up. It was Gui'Yata and he pushed the man back when he let Courtney's arm loose. Gerard stumbled.

"Ged oud!" Gui'Yata grumbled. His hands protectively on her shoulders.

"If you leave, you and your men might survive. If you try anything more you will all die." Courtney added, leaning on the large alien for support. After all she had first hand knowledge on the Souas destructive force.

Gerard nodded, dumbfounded, still shocked, he had wanted to see one of the creatures, now he wished he had not. He quickly backed away from the two. That bitch was crazy, he thought as he returned to the main chamber. His men were losing ground, he noticed immediately, many lay dead already.

"Fall back! Squad two fall back, get out of here!"

"But sir."

"Do as your told, get back, we're in over our heads."

Grudgingly most began to fall back, as their opponents began to appear. The sight of the creatures struck the group just as hard as it had Gerard. They were armed to the teeth with weapons more advanced than anything he had ever seen.

"Holy shit!" one man swore.

Their retreat was further hastened when the ship shuddered to life. The hatch they had come through, one that had opened to allow Courtney's departure, began to close and they were hard put to get out. Only Gerard and two other of his squad made it through before the opening sealed. Gerard looked at the two remaining members of his crew, mutual understanding passed between them as the ship reached full thrust. They ran for the nearest cover. Five others were left inside, alive. For how long was unknown.

Gui'Yata grabbed Courtney by the wrist, and dragged her toward the entrance, trying to tell Quarta to hold the door as long as possible. She was still in a sort of mental shock, everything was happening too fast for her, and she could not seem to get her feet under her fast enough to keep up with Gui'Yata's pace.

Unfortunately Gui'Yata was not fast enough, for the entrance had already sealed. Twelve of the crew had five soldiers surrounded, and there was the rumble he recognized as build up to lift thrust. He silently cursed himself.

The five men had their hearts in their throats as they realized that they were trapped. Slowly they turned to face the twelve aliens that were now all visible. A few of the soldiers let their guns clatter to the ground.

"We're dead!" one man whispered raggedly, the man next to him nodded, his mouth agape.

The circle of aliens began to close, and two of their company overcame the mind-numbing fear, and brought their weapons to bear. Both were determined to go out fighting, hoping to take a few of the aliens with them.

They were not to be that lucky, the first had not even depressed the trigger when he found himself in the tightening grip of the constricting net, he screamed as it painfully cut into his flesh, and then fell silent.

Gui'Yata realized just in time what was happening and skidded to a stop as he reached the entrance arch. Courtney bumped roughly into him, totally unprepared for the stop. She began to go around him, but he pulled her back and threw her roughly to the ground, as the second soldier sprayed the area with bullets. He went to his hands and knees over the top of her, as much for fear of crushing her, as to protect her.

The soldier was laughing maniacally as one of the creatures was hit, falling heavily to the ground. The creature next to him produced a blunt weapon, and the sound of compressed air was heard as the projectiles left the weapon. The tips impaled the man, pinning him securely to the door. The tips did not stop firing until the man was limp and the flesh all but shredded from his bones.

"Damn it!" Courtney heard Gui'Yata boom in English, over the final screams of the dying soldier. A small trickle of blood ran down from an arm muscle, and dripped on her already stained T-shirt. She was shaking uncontrollably, her body overrun with adrenalin, and suddenly she was frightened of Gui'Yata. Slowly he pushed himself to his feet, and she was unconsciously moving away from him. He reached out a hand to help her up, and she blinked. Her head cleared then and she forced herself to calm down. She took his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.

The other soldiers had cowered together, hands above their heads in submission, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire. As the noise and screaming died those that were left were roughly gathered up and taken to the bowels of the ship, they offered their captors no resistance.

"What's going on?!" Courtney said frightfully, regaining the use of her vocal cords, feeling the shudder in the ship grow almost palpable.

"We must leave." Gui'Yata replied in Sou, having heard the mental warning of the sentient ship, "Quarta is damaged, we must lift before it is no longer possible. They continue to attack from the outside."

"What about me? I was supposed to get off." she said in English, too scared to form the Sou words. She felt as if she was trapped in some unending nightmare, stifling, unable to breathe, unable to get free. There was a pause before Gui'Yata replied, for he had to wait for the translation from Quarta.

"It is too late, we have no more time, if we do not make it out of Earth's envelope we will be trapped. Besides it is not safe for even you to go out there. What would they do to a human with your kind of knowledge of us? Even the little you have learned... You must stay." he tried to make her see reason. A reason he should have argued with Quona, if he had thought about it before now.

Courtney nodded slowly realizing he was right, as visions of long hours of interrogation made her shudder.

"But what am I going to do? I am Clusu, an outsider, there is no place for me in this society!" she said despairingly, searching his face for the answer, sure that she would be dead within the next few days. Especially if she was thought to have been responsible.

Gui'Yata rested a large hand on her shoulder, looking her squarely in the face.

"You are Yanahara, very brave, very strong, as such you have a place already. As your Yaner, I will help you, protect you. Your title will be enough to keep you safe until you establish yourself."

She again nodded, solemn. Knowing it was a solution, but certainly not an easy one.

From behind one of the singed trees Gerard and his two remaining team members watched in horror, as the still working video cameras gave testament to the ferocity of the aliens. It was a gross fascination as he watched his men being slaughtered, their eyes glued to the small screen between them. The picture turned to snow, shortly after the incarceration of those remaining, as the vessel broke out of Earths gravity well.

He tore himself from the screen, though the others continued to watch expecting more to be shown to them. He leaned against the tree, his eyes darting wildly, how were they supposed to deal with a force so deadly? Did he want to try?


	8. Action and Reaction

Chapter Seven: Action and Reaction

By the time the area between Gerard and the rest of the battalion was cool enough to cross, an hour had passed. He was summoned before Santos, exhausted, hungry, and feeling more than a little guilty about those he had lost aboard the alien ship.

"Sergeant Gerard reporting as ordered sir."

"Report" Santos, said not even turning to face him.

"My team was able to infiltrate the ship sir. We gathered the information requested," he laid a disc on Santos' table, "We encountered heavy opposition, and were pushed back. Howard, Foster and myself were able to get out. The others... are..."

"We'll record them as casualties, Gerard." Santos said coldly.

"Yes, sir." he said in a whisper. "Sir?"

"Yes," Santos said distractedly.

"I... Encountered a possible hostage on that ship."

Santos spun the chair around to face him, an eyebrow raised in the first sign of curiosity he had ever seen from this officer. "Go on."

"UH," suddenly Gerard blanked on the details, having to think hard, "Mexican-American, five three, about thirty years old. Sir she was not in her right mind. She was going on about how we were out-matched, and she refused to come off the ship with me. That is not on the disk, I lost my camera during that time. She was 'rescued' by one of the creatures. It... It spoke English," he said confused.

"They have been known to do that, some kind of perfected mimicery ability." Santos said too lightly, looking at him oddly when he did not ask for dismissal, "Is that all."

"No sir," Gerard tossed an envelope on the desk.

"What's this?" Santos asked uncertainly.

"My resignation... I lost my company, sir. I want out, now."

"I can understand your feelings... This work comes with some deadly consequences. You've been an exceptional leader. I'll process this right now." he punched a few keys instantly processing a discharge, "I hope you have a good life." Santos said easily, handing him his papers, authorizing his discharge. Gerard became suspicious, that was too easy.

"Thank you sir." he turned smartly and left the tent.

Several minutes later, "Gomez!", Another soldier came into the tent.

"Yes sir?" he said

"Gerard has just resigned."

"I understand sir." Gomez turned on his heels and left the tent.

Gerard looked out from his niche, it seemed that he had lost his pursuit. So that is why it had been so easy, and why he had never heard from any of the other soldiers who had resigned. The Organization had them assassinated. They obviously thought they knew too much to be left as loose ends.

"Bastards." he whispered.

He had now been trying to dodge his pursuers for three days. He really needed to get out of the city for a while, but knew they would be checking on that. If he were going to get out it would be on foot.

Gerard checked his pistol again, assuring himself again that it had a full clip. He vowed to himself that if he ever got the chance he would pay them back. He slipped out of the concealing shadow into the surging rush hour crowd.

On the ship Courtney sat contemplating many things that had happened to her so far.  She had many questions but she was unsure how to ask them without illustrating extreme ignorance.

"What is Koratan to you?" Courtney asked out of the blue, stripping some of the totant from the edges of the wound on her hip. The sressra was no longer necessary. She looked up to Gui'Yata lounging in his Soyan, eyes closed, looking none the worse for wear considering the bullet wound in his arm. He turned to look at her.

"My older sibling?" He asked opening his orange and yellow eyes and propping up onto one elbow,  "We have been together since I can remember, trained in everything, hunted together. We are... were very close, but this last hunt has put distance between us. He hates your kind. His mobility is limited and his arm is prosthetic, damage done while hunting on Earth six of your years ago. His hatred is so intense as to blind him. I defended you and that will make me a clusuna to him."

"He has murder in his eyes," Courtney said distantly, pausing in what she was doing.

"Yes." Was Gui'Yata's reply.

Courtney was soon summoned before the council of Elders.

"Can you understand me, Yanahara?" Quona began.

"Your words have meaning to me, Quona." Courtney said formally. Quarta gave her a mental pat on the back for getting it right.

"We were dismayed when your companion brought you on board. We have come to the understanding that you have some standing among us, though you are Clusu." Courtney tried not to flinch at the venom, behind the words. Not necessarily directed at her, just an ingrained prejudice for what they considered a lesser being. "It was also agreed upon that you were only to stay with us long enough to recover your health, though it meant being planet bound longer than was planned. This wait subjected our vessel to an attack by the unthinking of your kind. The unforeseen happened, and a small party infiltrated this vessel. Several of our brethren were injured during the roundup. You are to be held responsible for those injuries."

"I accept responsibility for those injured, Elder." She said simply bringing a murmur from those gathered.

Taking a deep breath and straightening in his seat, Quona continued. So she had won that small contest of wills, If she had argued the fact she would be dead now. "The incursion was enough that we were forced to leave. You understand that we can not return?"

"That has been made clear, Elder."

"Why did you not go when your kind came for you?"

"Elder, they were as you say the unthinking of our race. Had I been taken by them, I would have received no kind treatment from them, in their attempt to pry information from me." Information about WHAT was clearly understood.

Quona nodded slowly.

"Our question remains, what are we to do with you? There are some here who would see you killed, your skull on a trophy wall, but for the fact that you are Gui'Yatas Yanahara."

"I am aware of that Quona," She glanced at Gui'Yata, and taking a deep breath she plunged, "If I be favored, Elder, I wish to train, to hunt, to earn my place."

"You..." he faltered, "You wish to be Taura?"

Koratan, who was present in the wings started to protest, but was quickly silenced.

"That is the ultimate goal, Elder." those gathered were stunned, "I wish to serve the pack."

She knew as Gui'Yata did that this was the only chance she would have to survive the trip back to Soona. Gui'Yata had drilled her on the proper responses to the Quonas queries.

"The pack is sacrifice, the training strenuous. Are you worthy?"

"Time will be my judge."

Quona nodded again, "If time is forgiving it will be. Leave us."

Her heart was in her throat as she silently rose and retired from the room. The others in the room were doubly shocked that the Quona had agreed, as was clear by the chatter that arose. Quona silenced them with a gesture.

"Gui'Yata," Quona called, the young Soua took his place in front of the Elder, "I leave it to you to begin your Yanahara's training. I realize that this responsibility comes to you at an early age. The circumstances under which I make the choice are unprecedented. She will learn faster from the one she trusts."

"But Elder, I cannot train her. I am not Taura." admitting what he thought to be a failure. His body slouched in a position of submission.

"An oversight." Quona said tersely, and Gui'Yata quickly looked up, conveying his surprise. Quona rose from his seat and approached standing just before the young Soua. He cruelly twisted Gui'Yatas left arm to reveal the smooth scar of his just healed wound. He snatched the sasa from Gui'Yatas belt, and Gui'Yata winced as the blade cut into his flesh.

It was done quickly, and the blood had not welled from the last cut when Quona had seated himself again. Gui'Yata dared look at the tattoo then. The healed tissue represented an eye, from the scar rose two upwardly curving horns, with three deadly teeth glinting underneath. It was the image of the mystical Taura, a beast too wily to kill. To be endowed with the symbol was to liken one to the intelligence and cunning the beast was said to posses.

Gui'Yata was stunned, as he had not thought his hunt worthy of the endowment. He had just barely returned with his life. And he had brought back a live clusu, breaking with tradition and law both.

"You are now one of the worthy, a Taura. With it comes the responsibility to pass on your cunning so those you teach shall honor you."

With that the ceremony was finished, but the Quona was not yet done.

"Now teach this clusu, your Yanahara, how to be a Soua, a Taura."

"That is the ultimate goal." He said, his body stiff with respect.

Gui'Yata had been sure that the elders would accept her into training, probably thinking that she would not last through her first hunt, so it did not matter and he hoped she would surprise them. Though it was painful to admit, he was even unsure of her ability. But he had expected one of the council to teach her their ways, or even perhaps a senior Taura. But him? He had not counted on being tasked with her training.

Gui'Yata returned to his quarters, he needed his trophy bag. It was tradition after every hunt to put up the momentos. He had been delayed too long already, being laid up for the better part of a week. He headed for the trophy room. He waited while Quarta opened the protective cover, he then set his hand against the transparent cover, which quickly slid apart. He carefully arranged the skulls in the case, pausing as he pulled the last skull out of the bag. A wave of apprehension and doubt passed over him. Him, teach a human? He wondered if he was worthy of such a near impossible challenge. Not only did he have to teach her to be a Taura, he would have to start her out like a saru, teaching all of the traditions and structure of his society. He felt as if he was faced with a sheer cliff, one that he was required to climb. He ran his thumb absently over the eye ridges of the skull in his hand.

His doubt about his teaching ability became the least of his worries, when he heard voices approaching from the adjacent hall. From their voices it was Koratan, and his close companions Sayka and the female Yaha. 

Yaha...where he was extremely short for his race, she was at the other end of the spectrum, standing at eight foot three, tall, even for a female. She was a vicious warrior, an excellent hunter, she would have her choice of mates. She had made Taura just two months ago, his immediate predecessor to receive the title. Her only problem was her mouth, which reflected her openly rebellious nature. But in this case she was unnervingly quiet, refusing to take a side on the issue being discussed, only acknowledging when she was addressed.

"Now he is required to teach the clusu how to be not only Soua but Taura as well." Koratan had been saying.

"Outrageous! It doesn't have the capacity or the skill for it, Gui'Yata will be made laughing stock." Sayka added fearful for Gui'Yata's reputation.

"Serves him right," Koratan replied vehemently, "My brother has turned into a sniveling clusuna. And they made him Taura! His hunt was no better than mine!" He finished incredulously. Gui'Yata was amazed how fast news spread, his amazement quickly turned to anger.

They rounded the corner continuing to talk of him as though he was not there. Gui'Yata dropped the empty trophy bag on the floor, attracting the attention of the group. They fell into shocked silence. Gui'Yata angrily slammed the skull into place on the trophy wall without facing it, keeping a steely eye on the three.

Gui'Yata walked over to the group, keeping tight control of himself, stopping in front of his older sibling. He was not concerned with the other two, he would deal with them only if they got in the way. To an outsider this would seem as if the mouse was trying to stare down the cat.

"Do you feel I am unworthy of the title I almost lost my life for?" Gui'Yata said in a low powerful voice, Koratan remained silent, "You are unhappy with my Yanahara?" Gui'Yatas stiff body showing only some of the fury he was feeling.

This time Koratan did speak, "The beast takes up space, eats our food. It will never learn our ways, it will die on its first hunt. All because you were too weak to let it die when it should have."

Rage swept over Gui'Yata, he lashed out catching his brother with a right hook that dropped Koratan like a rock. He straddled his brother who angrily rubbed his cheek. Gui'Yatas Taura status the only thing keeping Koratan from retaliation. This was not the first of the rumors that had gotten back to him about Courtney. He was sure that most of them Koratan had fanned into flame. He was tired of it.

"You disgrace our name and our training, gossiping like saru." He shot angry glances at the other two, who would not meet his gaze, "You are so busy nurturing your hatred and self pity," he continued, turning his attention back to his brother, "you no longer seem my brother. It was not the human's fault you were injured it was your own. Yet you would drag me down into your private prejudices. Blinding me with your hatred for the human, having me believe there was no reason to respect the race. I found that it could be different than what you had ingrained into my memory. The human, Courtney has my respect, I am alive only because she was willing to help me. I will no longer listen to your tainted views, and I am never to hear another rumor about me or her." he turned and walked away growling. "Fausi." he snarled, making an insult out of Koratan's status. He snatched the trophy bag off the floor, looking angrily back at the three before leaving.

Courtney again looked herself over, in a mirror that Quarta had altered the far wall of her room for. The outfit was rather scanty, but it was so much cooler than her blue jeans. The average temperature on the ship was about 110-115 degrees with about 50 percent humidity. Muggier than she was accustomed to, and though Quarta had offered to adjust the climate in her quarters, Courtney had refused. She would stick it out, because she needed to adjust to her new living conditions.

Her face flushed again as she remembered what she went through to get the clothes. She was forced to stand there, under their intense stares, stark naked, bathed in a blinding revealing light. The Soua were comfortable wandering the ship with little or no clothing, they had no external sex organs, and it again reminded her how similar they were to reptiles. Human morals made her blush at the thought of walking around letting it all hang out. She was a subject of intense interest where ever she went aboard ship, as it was, something else she was going to have to get used to. They fitted her for her armor, and weapons, which would take several weeks to finish, because of the differences in physiology and brain functions. But they had provided her, within the hour of the fitting, with what would be the undergarment for her armor. The top was not very substantial, coming just under her breasts, and supported by chords not much thicker than spaghetti straps. The bottoms were high up her hips and had a dark skirt of the same material in the back that came down to mid-thigh.

It was like wearing a bikini, made of a material not unlike Gui'Yatas gloves. It was... and was not leather, very soft and supple. With a few distinct differences, the material was such that it molded to the body. It gave firm support, needing only a few minutes to adjust to the wearer. It was quite comfortable, dispelling her fear that she would move wrong and fall out.

With a sigh Courtney left her quarters heading for the practice room, leaving early enough so that even if she did get turned around, as she often did, she could still make it there before the scheduled practice time.  She was surprised when she arrived there slightly early, but found Gui'Yata had not yet arrived.  She stepped in surveying the surroundings.  I it was a bare room save the many and varied weapons on the wall.  The floor was slightly spongy and she wondered in an offhanded way if Quarta had done that on purpose, to prevent unnecessary injury.

"Yes," the single word sounded in her head to be amused.

Courtney waited inside the practice room, pacing impatiently when a good time later Gui'Yata still had not showed.  She paced the floor two more lengths, and spun around as she heard the door slide to, to see Gui'Yata's hulking form enter. He carried in his arms a package wrapped in skin. He handed it to her, and she looked at him and back to the package with confusion.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It was mine when I was young, given to me by my instructor. I give it to you now, it should be of perfect size." but that did not answer her question.

So she began to unwrap it. She stepped back as she took the last of the wrapping away. It was a sword, approximately three feet in total length. It shown slightly gold in color, it was edged on both sides, with barbs facing fore and aft to do a maximum amount of damage.

"You must have had some childhood."

"Our 'childhood' is only two years. Soua reach full physical maturity at that age. I outgrew the sword very fast."

Courtney lifted the sword from the skin, testing its weight and balance. Both were perfect, like it was made for her.

As she admired it, Gui'Yata unexpectedly rushed her, lifting her off the ground and throwing her across the room. She hit the opposite wall hard, winding her. Before she could even react, he was there and she placed both feet on his chest trying to push him away. He was too heavy and she swung awkwardly with the sword, watching in frustration and fear as he backed quickly out of harms way. The sword whistled harmlessly through the air. 

She jumped to her feet while she had the chance, unsure what was going on. He came at her again and she swung, yelping at the shock of her wrist coming up against his hand. He wrenched her arm, poising his sraha at her neck, as she dropped the sword. He pulled her close; she was mad, scared and confused, staring down her nose at the knifed gauntlet at her throat.

"I could have killed you just now," he said panting. "Anyone on this ship could have. We are born to this, bred to this, trained from youth, and you will be extremely pressed to catch up. Do you see how hard this is going to be for us?"

She nodded, her cheeks drawn in, in frustration. Trying vainly to free her wrist from his grip. She knew what he was trying to do, keep her from thinking that this was going to be easy, but that knowledge did nothing to ease her temper.

"You must succeed at this, if not you will be killed, your Yanahara status will not save you, and I will be disgraced. I do not wish to see that day." He was scared of failure in this, it was written in the poise of his body, but as before it did nothing to ease Courtney's anger at her failure, "Your reactions must be faster, you should be able to exceed our speed being a true warm blood. Your fighting must be precise, timed and lethal, otherwise you will die on your first hunt." he had fallen into a teaching banter, so ingrained that it was second nature. He repeated it over and over until she could recite it to him from memory.

The next several weeks were spent in the training room, from the time she got up, until the time she was allowed to go to sleep. Gui'Yata taught her mercilessly, continually testing her, trying new attacks until he could no longer surprise her. As the weeks progressed she was able to predict his movements, and stay away from his attacks. If he were able to get close to her she was in trouble, his sheer size and weight would be enough to do her in. A fact he continually stressed, knowing full well the attitude of those aboard ship toward her. His attitude during these weeks was grim and intense, working hard to teach her well, at an accelerated pace. Soon he was enlisting the help of other Soua to help in the lessons. She was pushed to the edge every day, for some of those Gui'Yata enlisted were only more than happy to get a chance to hurt her. Several times they did, and Gui'Yata had been forced to step in before it had gone too far. Needless to say she broke her wrist and dislocated her shoulder during these sessions. Both required weeks of her time to recover, and she was almost forced to start over.

The periods when she was not practicing to hunt, she was embroiled in studies on Soua society. Gui'Yata instructed her, supplemented by Quarta who observed things that the Soua ignored about themselves. 

Courtney got up every morning feeling as if she would never be able to move, bruised from her failed defenses, and stiff from exercise she was unaccustomed to. Yet somehow she would muster the mobility to get through another days training.

She became proficient at using the sword in her left hand, saving her right for the sraha she should soon have. Even when Gui'Yata did not come to a training session Courtney practiced, but not wholly what he had taught her, she practiced her street fighting, a skill she had long forgotten. Forgotten with the bitter memories of a troubled youth. She had begun to incorporate them into her fighting technique, sure she would someday need the extra edge. She had also had several devices that helped her work on her upper body strength. She had never before been interested in an exercise program, this was rather forced on her. After all, it is not every day that you fought multiple seven foot-something creatures, for practice.

Gui'Yata spent his free time conferring with Quarta, studying human physiology, history (As Sou knew it), and society. All in order to improve his understanding of his trainee, to help her become a better fighter. He was quietly impressed with her ability to adapt and learn, she was proving easy to teach, and had uncanny reflexes.

Courtney was awakened by ship voice in her mind, her body telling her it was still early.

"Morning," She said groggily, reverting back to Earth standards, her body sore from yesterdays session in the training room, her against four opponents, she needless to say had been thoroughly beaten in her attempt to fend off the attackers, "What am I up so early for? Gui' has not planned an early session, has he?"

"Koratan plots against you," Ship said bluntly.

"What?" she said coming full awake, so suddenly her head pounded dully.

"He plots something, what is not clear, he muddles his thoughts. I would be wary of him."

"Does Gui'Yata know?"

"No, do you wish me to tell him?" Quarta offered.

"No, it could be dangerous if Koratan finds that I know what he's planning. Even worse if Gui'Yata knew, he might try to protect me, and that would give the council one more pry bar to rid themselves of me."

"Then you must prepare for a confrontation."

Gui'Yata followed behind his brother, wondering vaguely why the council wanted to see him. He felt uneasy, something about this was not right. His brother was being too civil to him, especially after their confrontation in the central chamber.

"Courtney!" ship yelled in her head snapping her around, "It is happening, Koratan is trying to bring you down. He attempts to discredit you as a choice for Yanahara. If you are found unworthy they will kill you outright."

"Son of a bitch." she muttered under her breath, heading for the council chambers, "we'll see about this!"

In the council, it did not take Koratan long to come to the point of this large gathering.

"I challenge my siblings choice of the human as Yanahara. He was hurt, Elders, sick, and not in the proper state of mind to make the choice. Not enough thought was given to it. She has shown no indication of being worthy of the title."

Gui'Yata began to rise, angry at his brothers accusations, who was he to know whether she was deserving or not. Unfortunately now that it had been brought up to the council he would have to defend his choice, and his honor, as their code dictated. He moved toward his elder brother, stopping as the chamber doors slid open.

Courtney stood in the doorway, signaling Gui'Yata to hold.

"I will fight my own battles, for your honor and mine." she said to him in English. No one else in the room knew more than a few words of what Courtney had said.

Gui'Yata acquiesced, but his posture told her it was a reluctant compromise. Gui'Yata was fearful for her.  Her inexperienced fighting up against Koratan's years of training at the hunt? It seemed a lopsided contest.

She limped over in front of her teacher, looking him straight in the eye as she pulled his sasa from the sheath. Her whole body was trembling, she was afraid as well... but the look in her eyes, she was determined to do this. The meaning passed between them without a word, she would have to prove her own worth or be looked after for the rest of her days, if she lived that long. Nothing would be gained if he fought this for her. Unfortunately that was just what Koratan had been counting on.

Gui'Yata just hoped, as he watched her walk away, that what her taught her thus far would save her. Hoped that her injury would not limit her ability.

She stepped up in front of the council, "I accept Koratan's challenge, and ask my right to defend my honor and that of my Yaner." Quarta had given her a quick brief on the rules of a challenge fight, they bounced around haphazardly in her head, and she concentrated on the Quona to stop the buzzing.

"The right is yours and you shall have it. The fight shall last until one is defeated-this is not to the death. The sasa is the only weapon, besides your cunning, to be used." Quona stressed.

Courtney and Koratan both nodded and moved to their places at the center of the room.

Koratan was confident, the girl was inexperienced and not fully recovered from her injury, as her limp proved. That gave him an advantage. Even his scarred body could move faster than she could.

They circled the room sizing each other, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. Koratan made the first move, springing toward her like a cat. She barely sidestepped, losing balance, taking precious moments to recover. He was already on his rebound, but she was ready now. She timed it carefully, just as he came into range she hit him with a high kick to the jaw, easily using her left leg, glad that the deception had worked. As he spun away from her with the force from the blow, she followed through with the dagger across his lower back. She still felt as if she was off balance, forcing her moves rather than letting them come, feeling like a kitten fighting a bear.

Koratan howled grabbing as the knife cut into him. He gazed at the blood on his hand, fury building. He spun back around to face her, that had done it. He rushed her again, this time stopping short, throwing her timing off. He lashed out with the dagger in his left hand, which she ducked, but she came up into his right hook.

The punch caught her in the left cheek, the studs on his gloves drawing blood. Her head snapped sideways and her body followed as she crashed to the floor. She was still for long moments; Gui'Yata went cold as his hopes for her winning faded.

"She is no Yanahara if one blow can take her down. Her fighting is sloppy, relying on luck only to bring her through. Her defense is worthless, her deception has failed," he announced to the council.

"Then finish the deceiver, if she is as you say she will not be able to fight you. This fight is not finished." Quona said, his voice steel.

Courtney tried to get up, able only to get her legs under her when Koratan kicked her hard in the ribs. She hit the floor groaning, rolled over holding her side, and fought to keep the tears from falling. She rolled up onto her knees, and just barely saw the sasa's downward arch, through watery eyes. She tried to get out from under it, but the blade caught the back of her arm, just below the shoulder. It cut her deeply down to the elbow. As she rolled back onto her side, she fought the pain and the shock, focusing on the words Koratan had spouted to the council, just a few minutes earlier. She allowed herself to get angry, letting it give her strength.

Courtney was slowly pushing herself up, listening to the bastard gloat, seeing his triumphant, mocking face. Her fear had left her, now she was angry; she looked up into Gui'Yatas worried eyes. He watched her face become a mask, twisted by her intense anger. She wiped the blood from her cheek, licking its salt from her hand. She no longer felt the pain, no longer felt the warmth of the blood trickling down her arm, pooling at her wrist. To Gui'Yata she suddenly looked like an animal, an angry cornered thing, willing to do anything rather than die.

Koratan turned his attention back to the prone woman. Slowly he circled, stopping in front of her, his poise full of disgust and hatred. She stared hard at his feet, then looked back at Gui'Yata and winked.

Her hair hid her expression from Koratan as it twisted into a maniac's smile.

"Fucking Puta..." he said to her in English.

Courtney acted quickly, shoving the sasa into Koratan's leg just above the heel. She swept out, listening to Koratan's scream echo off the council walls, as she hamstrung him.

Koratan fell to the ground clutching his bleeding leg, Courtney gaining her feet took advantage. Grabbing his temples, she yanked down hard as she brought her knee up. The crack resounded in the room. Koratan's head snapped back and he came down on his hands. Courtney took one step back, taking a spinning sidekick at his head. The blow knocked him down.

She paused a moment, watching him in his attempt to regain his feet. When he was back on all fours again, she again kicked him in the head. As he went over this time one of his hands caught her foot, throwing her off balance. He knew she went down and that gave him the initiative, he came to his feet with renewed strength. She had already recovered, her blood staining the floor where she had fallen.

He rushed her, with no finesse at all, forgetting all of his training in his rage. As he came up on her, she sidestepped, kicked out into his knee and stabbed up into his armpit all in one motion. The sasa hit home and as his leg went out, it was driven to the hilt. She deftly twisted out from under his falling body, recovering the dagger.

Koratan tried to catch himself but his arms did not support him and he landed heavily on his stomach. Courtney was quick to pin his right arm to the floor with her sasa. This done she kicked Koratans sasa from his grip. When it was out of Koratans reach she snatched it up.

She stepped on his free arm yanking his head back with her left hand, poising the sasa at his throat.

"Coup DE Grace", she whispered venomously, Quona quickly signaled the end of the match, trying to catch it before it got out of hand, and she was pulled off.

"Mother F..." she grunted, elbowing Gui'Yata's still tender ribs in her rage, and they ached dully from the agitation. He gripped her tighter, gritting his teeth against the pain, moving her away from the fallen Soua, while she continued to struggle.

Koratan lay there a moment, shaking with rage and shock. Somehow he managed to slowly reach over and pull the sasa out of his wrist. The pain was easily read on his face as he pushed himself up. He gained his feet unsteadily, staring at the retreating form of Courtney. He limped for a few steps, only dimly aware of its pain, his arm hanging limply at his side. His face twisted as he gathered himself. Without a sound he leapt after this human, the embodiment of all his failures. He would see her dead before life left his broken body.

Courtney caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. Spinning out of Gui'Yatas grasp, she sank the sasa into the side of the charging Souas neck.

Koratans body tensed, grabbing vainly at the hilt of the dagger in his neck as his nervous system shorted. He slumped to the floor, spasms wracking his dying body. Momentarily it was over, and Koratan was dead.

Gui'Yata stood in shocked silence at Courtney's performance. Some of her fighting had been his training, most however was something he had never seen in a fight. The council, who was equally impressed and baffled by her technique, shared his reaction.

She stood over the body for long moments, panting, expecting the creature to move again. She held her bleeding arm, vaguely aware of the blood dripping off her fingers. When her mind finally told her he was actually dead, she leaned over prying Gui'Yatas dagger from Koratans' hand, and retrieving the other dagger from his neck.

She slowly turned to face Gui'Yata who had come up behind her. She handed his dagger back to him, smiling tiredly.

"You honor my choice." Gui'Yata said, and in English, "Thank you."

"Your welcome." she answered him, turning to face the council, giving the sign of respect she addressed them, "Koratan's challenge is satisfied, my Yaner's honor and integrity have been proven. I claim Koratan's sasa as my own, times first trial, my first trophy."

Quona looked at the other council members, who imperceptibly nodded to him, then back at the woman standing before them, "You have more than proven your worth to the pack. The sasa is yours, may it serve you in the hunt."

"Thank you Quona." She said curtly, her excitement shining through, despite her injury. She turned on her heels and left the room heading for the soyara, Gui'Yata nodded to the council and left as well.

He was saddened about his brothers' death, but Koratan had pushed the matter beyond any sane limits. He had let his hatred rule him, and in this society there was no room for it. That thought did little to ease the pain however, they had, until recently, been close. One bad experience did not erase his affection for his brother.

He followed her path to the soyara, speaking to her as Quarta tended her wounds.

"You amaze me, Courtney," he said quietly in Sou, "You actually had us all believing that you were still not fully recovered."

"I had to have the element of surprise, it was the only edge I had. If I had told you, then there was a possibility of it becoming known." she twinged as the wrap on her arm was tightened.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"The streets of the city are not an easy place to grow up, especially on Earth. You either learn to fight dirty or you get hurt."

"You are quick," he said in English now, "Like Raha, the lightning that illuminates the darkness." He thought a moment, nodding as he came to a decision, "We can not continue to call you Courtney, that is your private name, and best to be used between close associates. So I give you the name Raha, my lightning, as your hunting name. As a Soua, so shall you be called."

"Alright, I am Raha, as a hunter. Though to you I am Courtney, you are my friend." she solemnly said after some thought, he watched as her face heated up again, a new wave of excitement washing over her, "I can't believe it Gui', I actually beat him!" She said, "You wouldn't believe how nervous I was." she quieted a minute, realizing who she had just killed, "I'm sorry about killing him, I had no choice." her head down in sorrow, to show she meant what she said.

Gui'Yata looked down, obviously distraught, "It was necessary." he said mechanically, "He no longer had the interest of the pack in mind."

But Courtney could tell there was pain behind the thought of his brothers' death.

The weeks following the fight were relatively quiet, though Courtney's training sessions were intensified. Gui'Yata was forced to become more wary of his students attacks, discovering the hard way just how disarming her street fighting was.

He approached too close during one particular session and soon found himself on the floor, from a well-placed kick to the ribs. She had found the exact spot where the ribs had been broken earlier, she had an uncanny knack for making old wounds new. He pushed himself up winded, holding his side, trying to ease the pain. She started at him again.

"Souch, Raha." She stopped mid-stride. He gained his feet stretching to relieve the pain. "You have improved greatly. Now you teach the teacher the meaning of pain."

"Only after hours of my own pain, Yaner." She retorted, and he nodded, amused. "I am glad, however, that my work honors you."

They both assumed fighting positions, ready for another round. They were interrupted when the door slid quietly away. They forgot all else, snapping to stiff attention as the Quona entered the room. They bowed in unison to the elder, showing sincere respect.

An elder did not often come to see individual training and his presence was a great honor. The old Soua stepped up in front of Courtney.

"Your Yaner tells me of your considerable progress. Most thought you incapable of learning our ways, myself included. You have proved us wrong. Your skills are formidable, as was evident in your fight with Koratan." Gui'Yata's mandibles clicked loudly in discomfort at the mention of his brother, Quona ignored it, "You have earned a place among us." 

The elder raised his hand and two Soua came forward with bundles, which were set at Quona's feet.

"You puzzle our Noora with the strange patterns of your mind. He hopes that these will work properly." He pointed to the bundles, then he left without further explanation.

Courtney was left to puzzle out the contents for herself, her mentor was not offering any further enlightenment, although he looked quite smug. She plopped down on the floor next to the largest bundle. Gingerly, she pulled it toward her and began to unwrap it. She pulled a piece free, her eyes lighting up, it was her armor and weapons! She set down the chest piece and proceeded to unwrap the second package, with slightly more zeal. This was the more interesting of the two, for in it there was an intricately carved chest, about two feet long and a foot wide. The designs were strange but overall appealing, she opened it and inside, in neat display was her sraha, the yoysa, as the plasma cannon was called, the mask/data processor and the arm computer.

The arm computer as she found out also housed a small missile launcher as well as a self-destruct mechanism. 

As the Quona left he was deep in thought not even aware when his attendants took their leave of him. His brows furrowed, what made this one so different? He had hunted Earth many times, and all were satisfying hunts. But he had never run across a human like the specimen Gui'Yata had been bold enough to bring aboard the ship. He had wondered several hundred times why he had refrained from having her exterminated when she was brought on board.

It was not because of his grandson, no he had been successful in being impartial toward the child. There had been several other animals that he had brought on when he was younger, that had been dispatched. Nor was it her Yanahara status, for he did not know of it at the time, and the circumstances of the choosing were always reviewed, and it had not been at the time.

He had been impressed by her boldness in the council. He was sure that Gui'Yata had prepared her for it. But she carried no hint of reluctance in her voice when she asked to train for the hunt. She had a kind of quiet charisma.

All was quiet on the ship tonight. The guards were posted and all others were on their sleep periods. All that could be heard was the steady thrum of Quarta's lifeblood.

Even that sound was irritating to Courtney right now. She found herself unable to sleep, staring through the dark at the ceiling above her. Her mind was not on where she was, on this ship not even on the voyage she had been forced into. All that was bouncing through her head was her life before. Before all of this craziness uprooted her and required her to adapt to such an alien lifestyle.

Courtney threw back the covers and got up. She padded silently to the other side of the room, pulling a small box from its hiding spot under her gear. She called up the lights, sitting where she was, and slowly lifted the lid on the contents. She still could not tell herself why she had kept the first two items she drew forth from the preservative wrapping. Her T-shirt and jeans were tattered and stained red and green with Gui'Yata's and her own blood, a violent reminder of that night she first found herself thrust among these aliens.

There was not much else to be found in the box. Just a leather billfold she had, had on her that night. The few dollars still contained in the billfold did not matter anymore, for dollars were useless. Here though was her only reminder of her family, a portrait to keep the memories focused. It was one of the few times the whole family had been able to get together. Both sets of grandparents, her parents, even her then husband, Steve Terrance, and their daughter Teresa, only three at the time of the picture.

She ran a shaky hand over her daughters' face. If there was one person she missed the most it was Teresa. Taken from her through the divorce.

Her marriage to Steve had been a dream come true. It had given her the ability to leap from the quagmire that had threatened her all of her young life.

He had been a counselor at the teen center she frequented. A place she made herself go, to express her confusion about the life she led and her fears about where it was going.

Steve had been the one to finally convince her that joining Los Diablos was as sure a death as putting a gun to her head and pulling the trigger. She had fallen for him easily, with his rugged good looks and simple charm. Oh, yes he had been seven years older than she had, but what was that when one was in love?

She had married Steve June fifteenth, 1997. Pulled away from the gang scene just as a record number of them fell to an unknown and deadly serial killer. Steve had often reminded her that she could have been one of the victims.

Her marriage seemed perfect, Steve got her a job through one of his contacts. A job running heavy machinery, a job he knew she would love.

Teresa was born the next year, with both her and Steve prospering in their new jobs. Shortly after Teresa's third birthday, things began to change. Steve's habits began to change after his father died at the hands of a gang. He began to drink excessively, from the time he left work to well after two or three in the morning. He came home drunk, and often went to work that way, and it soon cost him his job of twelve years.

His drinking led to violence, He became verbally and physically abusive. Courtney was often beaten, for she never allowed him to lay a hand on Teresa. Courtney had tried several times to get the police to help her and her daughter. But Steve was smart, never leaving bruises big enough or in the wrong spots. They were never on her face, and he always explained them as being from Courtney's work. After all, working heavy machinery could very well leave the same kind of bruises. The police agreed, and warned Courtney against making false reports like that.

Unable to bear it any more Courtney took Teresa and left Steve. She never gave him warning she just had the divorce papers delivered to him. But there were complications Steve fought for custody of young Teresa.

She could only guess that the divorce papers had been a slap in the face. By the time the court saw the case, Steve had pulled his life back together and found a steady means of income. He had even been able to afford one of the top lawyers around to present his side. The lawyer proceeded to convince the court that Courtney was unfit as a mother. Attributed to her long hours and the hazards involved with her work.

The court agreed, and consequently Courtney was to give up custody to Steve who was deemed to be a better parent for their daughter. She was allowed weekend visitations only.

Teresa had cried the whole time Courtney was preparing her to live with her father. Even at that age Teresa was petrified of her fathers temper. But what could Courtney do?

Courtney had sworn to Steve that if he ever laid a hand on Teresa, ever left her bruised, that she would kill him. He must have taken her seriously because Teresa never was bruised.

Courtney sighed as she closed the billfold, wiping the tears from her eyes. She wondered if that was still the case? Would her being proclaimed dead change his attitude about what liberties he could take with Teresa? Courtney would never know, and that knowledge left her with a hard knot of anguish. She fell asleep on the floor still clutching the billfold, and regretting not having seen her family before this had happened to her.


	9. Shisari and the Yhi

Chapter Eight: Shisari and the Yhi

Chapter Eight: Shisari and the Yhi

"We're stopping," Gui'Yata declared bursting in on Courtney's quarters. He stopped short realizing that she was not dressed. This was the first time he had really taken notice of her body. She was shapely and well proportioned, things considered attractive in a human female. It did not seem to him that it was built for fighting, however. The muscles were not of proper development. He was used to seeing females such as the Soua, who were larger and generally heavier than the males. Courtney had already proved, however, that mass was not important, only the skill involved, and how it was used.

She seemed undisturbed by his intrusion, slowly drying her long hair in front of a mirror that Quarta had fashioned for her. Mirrors confused him, she had told him that it was so she could see her reflection. But all he saw was a ghost image of himself, for it reflected only a fraction of his heat back, hardly enough for him to detect.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked casually.

"They have prepared a hunt on Shisari, you are to be in the party." there was a nervous edge to his tone.

Her brows furrowed, "Why are you uptight about that?" she said watching his reflection in the mirror, "I thought you were eager to let me 'get my feet wet' with a hunt?"

"They have not assigned me to the hunt." he said slowly, twinging it with annoyance and confusion to sharpen the point.

Courtney stopped drying her hair, wrapping herself in the towel, "I thought I was not allowed to hunt, but under your supervision, until after my Raya." she tried to sound calm.

He shook his head confused, "That is the way, but the council has made an exception in your case. They are rewriting law for you, or maybe against you. They say that they are not sure of your loyalty to the pack. They would test you with a team you are unfamiliar with. They wish to see that you are able to work in unison with strangers." He took a deep breath, "The hunt will be led by Yaha, this is a test for her as well, to see how well she leads a party. Your other huntsmen are, Arsu, Nobaya, Yalsa, and Basa."

Courtney knew them only by reputation, having only run into them a few times in the corridors. They were all well known for their various skills. Nobaya was a noted tracker, having a reputation for following even the oldest trails to quarry. He was extremely intelligent, and was proficient at bringing down quarry at a distance. Basa was a fighter, grimly determined to win even a hopeless hunt, he had made his mark at infighting and weapons use. Yalsa was about Gui'Yatas height but was thinner, and more agile than the rest, he was skilled in not only astral navigation, but could find his way to the ship from half a continent away. Arsu was not spectacular, just an average hunter, but knew a little information about a lot of things, including species and habitats on over three hundred worlds. Overall an impressive group. Yaha now that choice puzzled her, she was openly rebellious, going so far as to lose a spot in the Noora clan. Courtney was not sure of Yahas leadership ability, who would respect her authority when she respected no one else's?

"But these are all Taura, does the council expect me to match their skill? Do they have that much faith in my ability?"

Gui'Yata just shrugged, a habit that he had picked up from her, "This confuses me too."

Her eyes lost focus. Gui'Yata raised her chin to look at him.

"Are you alright, Raha?"

"Yes" she whispered, "I hope there is not more to it than just a hunt, is all."

He nodded solemnly, "I hope you are right. I wish you luck, and good hunting. I will be back to take you to the staging area."

"I will honor you this hunt." she said strongly as he reached the door, he turned to look at her. She was standing tall, her face was framed in the long lengths of her hair and the same determination he had seen during her fight for honor, reflected in her stance.

He gave her what passed as a Soua smile, and slipped out the door.

She began to go over her inventory of supplies, checking everything to be sure that it was in good repair. Given the equivalent of an hour to be at the staging area for brief, she dressed. This would be the first time she used the armor in a hunt. She ensured that each seal was secure. She made sure that the breather was functional, and did a complete diagnostic on her battle helm functions.

She looked like some space harlot she remembered seeing on old space flicks, when she was little. She laughed at the thought, "Soua solicitor" rang jokingly through her head.

There was a knock at the door and her laughter turned to nerves. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she answered the door.

"It is time." Gui'Yata said as the door slid away. Gui'Yata looked at her appreciatively. She looked like a proper Soua, her armor was properly donned and he could see that the seals had been freshly cleaned and softened. He sighed, knowing that he had done all in his power to prepare her for this hunt. But he still felt edgy, at least it was comforting to know she had absorbed his lessons.

Courtney grabbed the last of her weapons from the floor and stepped into the hall. He escorted her to the staging area. The rest of the party had already gathered, several looked at her with disdain, the rest just ignored her. Yaha began the briefing immediately upon her arrival.

As the briefing progressed Courtney's eyes wandered to the other faces in the group the ones she would be spending the next twenty hours hunting alongside. Only part of her attention remained on what was being covered.

Her eyes were automatically drawn to their towering leader. Courtney had never seen a Soua so tall. She had heard that Yaha was eight foot three, but it was something that you could not appreciate unless you saw it. Now she knew why her hunting name was tree. Courtney might come mid-thigh to her. Her overall color was almost lime green, and the normal darker stripes accented her skin. She always wore a dour expression as if she expected an argument at any moment. Courtney looked away when Yaha noticed her staring, but the large creature did not even pause in her brief.

Nobaya was leaned nonchalantly against the wall seeming to only pay a little attention to what was being said. He was average height, for a Soua, seven four and he was built for quickness and stealth. She nodded to herself that matched his style, after all he was the tracker in this group. He was almost creme in color. The crosses surrounded by diamonds on his skin blended from chocolate to creme so that no sharp contrasts could be seen, it was an interesting visual effect.

The only one more visually stunning was Basa. Where as most of his companions markings were small and sharp, his were very large almost like a pinto horse. The color was unusual also, being grey-on-grey. He would be hard to see in the twilight hours, even without his camouflage. He was listening to Yaha intently, testing the sharpness on his blade like most men would caress a woman.

Yalsa, their astro navigator, seemed anxious to go, for he fidgeted almost nonstop with the skull at his belt. He was just taller that Gui'Yata, though his build was much thinner than her teacher. She had been informed that he studied in balance, and force-counter force, making him quite an acrobatic hunter. Gui'Yata had said he was fun to watch in a battle. His skin was darker, and slightly more yellow than Nobaya, and his patterning looked like a diamond back rattlesnake.

Compared to the others Arsu was almost bland, he stood very still, and she knew he was listening. But his eyes had a kind of glazed look that told her he was thinking about something related, but not necessarily the subject at hand. He looked like most of the Soua she had seen, seven foot three inches, medium green with dark green spots, with a few but not many stripes accenting his skin.

As she finished her visual tour of her hunting companions the brief was over, and she quickly reviewed what her brain had culled as she pitched in with the loading.

They were coming in on the dark side of the planet, and would set up scouting before the dawn. They would locate the conflict and begin to cull their trophies.

The shisi would not be easy prey, their intelligence was considerable. They had achieved space travel some hundred year's prior. But they were a warlike race, and their civilization was beginning to crumble under the pressure of a civil war, which had been ongoing for fifty years.

Shisi weaponry matched or excelled the Soua technology. They had developed technology to counteract the light refracting equipment the Soua were so fond of using, out of necessity. Their enemies had developed a similar technology, and countermeasures were developed quickly, to prevent an overwhelming edge to be gained by the other side. There was not much of an edge on this hunt, it would be hard going. Only their cunning and stealth would give them an advantage.

The briefing was over quickly, and they began loading the landing vehicle immediately. Courtney made sure to give her all in loading, so that her hunting mates would not have any undue excuse to discount her.

"Gui'Yata worries for you," Quarta said in Courtney's head, "He thinks very highly of your ability, and wants you to know, you own a place in his soul."

In this culture, owning "a place in the soul", was regarded as a high degree of affection and comradeship. Courtney smiled to the befuddlement of her companions.

"Thank him for me," she thought, "He owns a place in mine as well. I will honor him this hunt, no matter the cost." she thought as she seated herself in the vehicle.

A pang of nerves constricted her throat, and she swallowed hard fighting the feeling as the shuttle door shut.

Gui'Yata walked back to his quarters solemnly, trying to dispel the ominous feeling that this hunt would go bad, those feelings of his were seldom wrong. He stepped through the door as it opened to his presence. He had no sooner sat down to meditate than his door buzzed.

He opened the door to find Quona there, he did not look happy.

"Quona, you honor me." Gui'Yata said in traditional formal greeting.

"I have grave news." He said, stepping through the door, "I fear that our party may not be returning."

Gui'Yata looked at him with a clearly puzzle expression, "What do you mean?"

"The planet is infested," Gui'Yata eyes went wide, "Our party walks into a difficult situation."

"Why then were they sent?" Gui'yata said trying to sound detached, fear rising like a black tide inside him, his feeling becoming a knot in his stomach, "Why would you send our best Taura and Raha into a situation that will probably cost all of them their lives?" He was trying to make sense out of a senseless situation. Six hunters against hundreds of Yhi, it was a lost battle and they both knew it.

"I have been too trusting of my council, they seem to have their own agenda for your Raha. As you know, in order to win my approval, there must be no overwhelming danger to the party, being that this is a training ship. The council has... altered the report of Shisari, to gain my favor. The document was a week old." He was clearly upset about this, "I have relieved them of their stations, which however will not save our party. And I can not send another group to help them out... if the party is able to come back... if Raha lives through this experience, it will qualify as her Raya. Yaha knows that, and will mark her passage under your line. I am sorry, I know of and understand your relationship with Raha, I can only hope that time is forgiving for them."

Gui'Yata nodded, lost in the thought of losing the strange woman who was his charge and friend.

The shuttle shuddered slightly as it settled onto Shisari's surface.

"May time favor us." Yaha commented her greeting to the hunt, which was their signal to prepare. Masks were donned and weapons readied.

The hatch opened and a rush of cool early morning air washed over the party. Courtney set for infrared, allowing for ease of movement in the dark.

She remembered how hard it had been to interpret what a heat signal meant. But under Gui'Yatas intense teachings she had learned fast. Now she was just as comfortable as she was seeing the visible spectrum.

The group fanned out, Basa, and Yalsa taking to the trees, Nobaya scouting ahead, and Arsu, Yaha, and Raha slowly moving across the forest floor. They reached a certain distance and stopped, waiting and listening.

Their helmets relayed each other's position, so they would not end up hunting each other. There was not much more information than that coming through their information net. There was no animal heat present, no one else had a reading either, as was proven by the subvocal reports coming from the others. It was extremely quiet, not even the trees dared whisper. It was as if they were alone in these woods.

Courtney switched to visual light as the sun came up. It was a pale sun, not even half of the strength of Terra's sun. But Shisari was closer to its sun, therefore able to support life. Vegetation was thick, the leaves were plump and fleshy, and were various hues of blue. Looking toward the sky she had a hard time discerning between sky and forest, they were practically the same shade.

She switched back to infrared when faint rustling reached her. The visor told her it was part of the party, probably Nobaya returning from his scouting.

He reported immediately to Yaha, "There is sign, but it is all at least a week old. What the tracks tell me is even more confusing."

Yaha signaled for convergence, and Nobaya took them to the clearing of mystery.

"There was an army here, marching in close military formation... but here." He pointed out a spot several feet forward, "Something happened, they fell into a state of confusion. They scattered, most headed back for the city. But there are spots, here near the trees where some of the tracks just end. I would have said that they had been attacked, but...' he shook his head, "There is no evidence of a battle, no bodies, no shells, and...No other tracks leading away."

"This makes no sense," Yaha confessed her confusion, "We should have seen something. As you say there is a major population center just over the rise." she paused a moment, "There was supposed to be a major conflict here!" she burst, suddenly angry.

"Also," Arsu added, "We have seen no evidence of the lower forms of life which flourish in this ecosystem."

Yaha thought for a long time, coming to a decision she turned to Nobaya, "Follow the trail to the city, we will see how the city fares. We may go home empty handed."

If she knew what they were up against, she would have been happy to go home with no trophies.

Nobaya's reports on the way to the city were always the same. The number of trails that just ended increased exponentially, but as always there were no bodies, and no signs of a fight. It remained deathly quiet as they trekked toward the city.

Courtney froze as she heard rustling from behind them, the sound seeming loud as thunder in the silence. With a horrid scream, a shisi lunged from the bushes, plasma sword gripped tightly in its hand. Its slit eyes were fully dilated, clearly showing his unstable state of mind.

It was only slightly greener than the surrounding undergrowth. They were definitely reptilian, with a wide snout along the lines of an alligator. A crest the hue of blood rose from between its wide set eyes and disappeared again between the shoulder blades. There were two sets of fingers opposing each other the claws were dulled. As though this one had a hard life. It's tail was short and thick, probably used for balance. The legs were one joint longer than a human ending in a foot with four toes, three forward and one opposing, also for stability, she surmised.

As the creature rushed through the group and past, ignoring the party, Courtney and Arsu both targeted. Before they were able to fire the creature tensed and dropped to the ground. It lay there writhing, wailing as if in intense pain, the sound set Rahas teeth on edge. Slowly, cautiously the party approached the down shisi.

Another spasm racked it, as it went stiff there was a cracking sound as something pounded on the ribs from inside. Yaha hissed menacingly, flicking the blades of her sraha to full extension, the rest of the party backed away from the creature. Courtney was frozen in place in horror and fascination, watching the death throes. Its chest ruptured after three more tries from the force within. There in the bloody remains of the shisi's chest was a creature out of a nightmare. The small black head was smooth and eyeless, its lips curled back to more fully reveal the crystalline teeth grinning menacingly at them, emitting a bubbly metallic growl. There were four underdeveloped stubs positioned where arms and legs would be.

Yaha struck it down before it had taken its first breath.

"Yhi?! Here?" she said with considerable disgust. Raha remembered now something Gui'Yata had told her about Yhi. They were used in limited numbers to test young Soua in the hunt. If a Soua lived through Raya they were moved up to the status of Fausi.

Yhi, instinctive killers, intelligent, but not intellectual. They killed to survive, they transformed worlds to their liking, infesting them easily, and having no natural predators to keep their numbers in check. They were considered an almost perfect race, having no conscience, no remorse over killing, armored with silicone based cells. Their defense included blood that was as caustic as formic acid. They used their dead to fortify their nests, silicone reinforcement. They wasted nothing.

Yaha sighed, "We must find out if this is a limited infestation or whether a queen has migrated. We may not live through this, but our recordings will hold valuable information for the Soua." Soua would never be good politicians, they were way too straightforward, Courtney decided silently.

The hunters entered the streets of the city with extra caution. Shisi corpses littered the streets, carrion eaters and insects were thick, taking advantage of the decaying feast. Courtney found herself glad that her mask did not allow her to smell the stench of so many dead, knowing full well what death smelled like.

Some shisi died, as did the shisi on the outskirts, as host for the Yhi young. Their ribs showing through the broken skin. Most of the dead was the contingency that had tried to beat back the attack and were killed, their bodies left to the weather. Yhi could not use dead hosts, and only so many could be eaten at one time. But as many bodies as there were, it was far short of the reported population of the city. There could be two explanations, either the survivors fled to safer areas, which was highly unlikely. Or, Yaha's presumption was right, and they were under the queens' care, until her young were born in their blood.

The group formed a loose circle, stepping over the rotting bodies, as they methodically moved through the city. All eyes searched restlessly for anything moving outside of their protective circle.

The first attack came from above, and it was Raha who saw the movement. She reacted rather than thought, lashing out as she yelled her warning to the yhi's intended target, Yaha. The impaled Yhi thrashed violently as it tried to get at Raha, from the point of the Raspa. She had to be careful, the creatures sheer weight was enough to crush her. But using the momentum of the Yhi's attack she landed it on the far side of their startled leader. She dispatched it quickly with a shot of plasma, taking care to keep the caustic blood off of her. She let the acid burn itself angrily out against the impervious metal of the raspa. When it had neutralized she pulled the raspa free, and stepped over to Yaha.

"Are you alright Yaha?"

She nodded, "Your hunting name fits you," she motioned to the Yhi, "Take your trophy quickly, there are more, and the hunt is not yet done." she said knowingly.

Courtney did so, severing the head and the razor sharp tail. The tail would make an excellent sasa, but that would come later. She tethered them to a nearby tree, intent on collecting them when the hunt was complete. She needed no extra burden now.

Nobaya led the way toward the center of the city, where the great hall was located. The building was impressive even from a distance. The Yhi attacks became more and more intense, and as they neared the ominous structure, the battles were heated.

"We must be nearing the nest," he panted, fighting off the last of the latest wave, "They are becoming thick."

The last at least was truth, the groups were nearing fifty per wave, and they gained less ground with each attack. The fight began to take its toll.

Three attacked Basa from an alley, and he was working through them, as Arsu took note of another approaching from behind. He took the creature out with a shot of plasma, but blood was splashed on the huntsman he was helping. Basa had turned toward Arsu, and the caustic liquid hit his arm. He fought the pain, much as he fought the Yhi, with grim silence.

Their circle held against that wave, but the next came close on its heels. In the heat of the battle Yalsa became separated from the group, and the Yhi isolated him quickly. His absence was immediately noted and the rest fought to get to him. Yalsa fought valiantly, acrobatically avoiding the Yhi, as he killed without mercy. But the numbers finally had him, he was fighting off a Yhi that had lunged at him, not noticing the one that had moved in behind him. He screamed as the black terror plunged its inner set of teeth deep into the flesh on his thigh grabbing a lager portion with the outer set. The one he had been originally concerned with took advantage raking his head behind the seal of the mask, with its sharp claws. He desperately blew the creature off his chest with plasma, closing his eyes in the hope that its blood would not hit him. The other proceeded to rip a chunk of his leg off and commenced grabbing another, when the group finally reached him. Yaha was the first through and dispatched the creature clinging to Yalsas leg. The jaws locked onto Yalsas' thigh as soon as the head was separated from the body. He fell hard with the sheer unbalanced weight of the yhi's head. He just missed falling into the growing pool of acidic blood. The rest broke through the resistance and fanned out to form a protective barrier around Yalsa. They fought through the last and gathered close for a much-needed breather. They all looked solemnly at their companion, their poise showing feelings of helplessness, as if there was nothing they could do to help, Raha thought.

"Let me through!" Raha pushed past them, kneeling next to the fallen huntsman. She would do something, if they would not.

"Get away from me," he growled, coughing, "Let me die in peace."

"I can help!" she said angrily, changing tact when he did not respond, "Am I to treat you like a saru? You need treatment, if you persist with this attitude you will die, and not honorably! Are you so cowardly that you are afraid of this clusu Yanahara? And I thought you were a Taura."

He started to get angry at her apparent insult. Then he realized what she had been attempting, his expression changed to one of amusement. He waved at the leg, permitting her to work on it.

Courtney first had to pry the jaws of the Yhi open, and Yalsa screamed openly at the pain it brought.

"I need you to explain your kit to me, so that I will use the proper items."

Through his pain, Yalsa guided Courtney, explaining the contents of the kit and the various uses of each item. She proceeded to clean and pack the wound. Once it was tightly packed, she mixed totant and applied it over the packing. It would have to be cut open to get the packing back out but it had to be done. She administered a painkiller for the area, so that he would be able to walk. She looked over the cuts on his face, they were also quite serious. They were going to scar nastily. Several of his hairs had been severed completely, and unlike human hair it was alive. It was fleshy and thick with blood vessels, they were bleeding profusely, and as she understood it they would not grow back. She treated it as best she could then looked at him sternly.

"There will be pain, but I think that you will recover eventually. Can you stand?" he nodded and allowed her to aid him. When he was on his feet, Raha turned to Basa who was favoring his injured arm.

"Hurry up!" Yaha growled, "They are massing again. We need them in this!"

Basa had no complaints as she hurriedly treated the burn, and spread totant over it. Other than that he was fine, once the painkillers had numbed the area his arm was again usable.

Just as she had finished with Basa, they were again attacked. Raha was amazed as she watched the two injured hunters jump into the battle with zeal, fighting extremely well, for their conditions. The alternative was to be taken to the Queen, and become hosts for her hell-spawned younglings. Neither would submit to that. When they had finished fighting through that wave they stood in the shadow of the hall.

"Nobaya, Raha... go inside, see where in the hall the queen lies, estimate the number of Shisi that the queen has taken for her own. Avoid conflict if possible and return swiftly, we will need your manpower." the two of them nodded and headed for the looming building.

The Great Hall had been built North to South in the center of the metropolis. It dwarfed the surrounding city. For the rest of the buildings were subdued, with ceilings only six foot from the ground, even though one building would cover several blocks. The Halls ceilings were three stories from the ground. Its length was so great it was near impossible to see one end or the other from the door at its center, a perfect place for a hive. This was a side entrance, the doors at either end were massive arched double doors. The side entrance was open, whether from haste or habit neither of them was sure.

Cautiously they stepped through the doors finding themselves in an anteroom thirty by thirty feet square. It had once been very beautiful, Raha concluded, but the new occupants had remodeled it in their own dark and sinister image. Hardened resin tendrils spiraled out from the shattered frame of the inner door, and the floor was sticky, threatening to trip even the most careful person. The inner door leading to the meeting chamber, lay splintered on the floor, a pale bloated Shisi corpse sprawled atop it, half covered in slime. Its glazed sightless eyes were turned toward the ceiling high above, the half open, toothy jaw bubbled phlegm as bacteria worked to break the organic matter down.

Nobaya and Raha stepped in unison around the corpse and peeked through the frame into the meeting room. She began to start into the hall, Nobaya grabbed her and pulled her back. "Careful Raha, they have a habit of taking prey by waiting above archways. I will go first, we will get our information and leave quickly." She nodded understanding.

"How many times have you hunted Yhi, Nobaya?" She whispered.

"Once." He stated simply, crouching low.

"Oh..." She replied meekly, he really instilled her with confidence.

He took his raspa from its storage, and extending it, thrust it up just inside the hall. The Yhi screamed impaled on the device, Nobaya quickly silenced it. Raha followed him in, met by no resistance. There were leathery eggs and shriveled carriers strewn over the length of the hall. Mounted to the walls were countless Shisi, looking like grotesque sculptures; madman's' art, lifeless eyes stared at them. Those few who were still alive wailed in their native tongue, hissing a warning, Raha was sure, or bemoaning their fate.

She looked to one end of the hall then the other. She tapped her companion. The great doors were barely discernable, the distance so great from where they were.

"There." she said in an awed whisper pointing at the North arch, noticeable even at a distance.

She was hard to see, but her size in relation to where she was gave her away. The queen had nestled herself in front of the doors of the Northern arch, her bulk easily filling its great space. Her high carapace shown dully in the half-light filtering through the partially blocked windows. Her bloated thorax twisted away from her, suspended along the wall, positioned in a space of open floor. Occasionally she deposited an egg and repositioned herself. She was at once beautiful and frightening, Raha thought. Around her flitted countless drones, cleaning her, feeding her, like fussing nursemaids. 

"We must at least attempt to kill this brood queen," Nobaya muttered, clearly unhappy with Yaha's instructions not to engage in any fights. He moved further into the gathering place, attempting to get a better shot at her. Raha followed anxiously behind him, not happy but not wanting to get separated from his side.

"But..." Raha started to protest, as Nobaya, finally satisfied with his proximity to the Queen, took aim on the black bulk sitting in the enormous archway.

"Cover me..." he grunted, waiting for target lock.

The queen did not seem to notice their presence in her domain, but her drones were another matter. They swarmed toward the two in the defense of the Queen who was their life.

Raha's eyes went wide as an unbelievable number of yhi, came out of their hiding places. A surging tide of blue-black bodies intent on killing the two presumptuous intruders. She yanked hard on Nobaya, throwing him off balance, "We've got to get out of here!" she was speaking English in her fright and did not realized it.

He had ordered his weaponed fired just as he lost balance, and the aim was sorely off mark. He watched angrily, as the shot only severed one leg and singed her egg sack.

The wounded creature screamed her outrage, joined by the thousands of voices of her equally angered drones. The sound was deafening. The wave surged, attempting to prevent the escape of the assailants. Raha was already backing toward the entrance stunned by the overwhelming numbers. It was still so far away, she just knew that Nobaya and herself were going to die.

"Out!" Nobaya yelled, firing shot after shot into the thick of the swarm as if Raha needed encouragement. Raha breaking the grip of her mind numbing fear covered their escape route, blasting the Yhi that had somehow circled behind them on the walls. The journey back to the anteroom door was arduous to say the least, every drone taken down was immediately replaced. Nobaya was unable to help her clear a path to their retreat, occupied as he was with the surging group coming up fast from behind. Raha sighed audibly when she reached the door.

Once through the frame to the anteroom the Yhi access was narrowed, though it was not immediately evident. Raha had turned back to face the hall, adding her firepower to Nobaya's, and tripped on the corpse in the doorway. Raha landed heavily on the decomposed chest of the Shisi corpse. She had no time to get disgusted with her position for Nobaya had moved past her and hastily hoisted to her feet, taking out the yhi descending on her. They switched positions, Raha fighting off the advancing horde while Nobaya opened the doors that had been closed by the Yhi drones to block their escape. He leaned his back against it, shooting past Raha at the unending stream of creatures, he mule kicked hard, breaking the resin seal that the Yhi had erected.

"Come on!!", he yelled at Raha, who had not witnessed his act. On his command she retreated, out into the open. She fired one last time and cleared, allowing Nobaya to slam the anteroom door shut and bar it with a piece of wood. The creatures pounded relentlessly on the door and it slowly began to splinter. That limited the source of fighters the Yhi could use, and might buy them some time.

They found their party locked in a battle of their own. Yhi forces summoned from the city ruins by their injured Queens distress call had cut off their path of retreat. The group was fighting to keep their ground. The two of them rejoined their embroiled companions with a battle cry to wake the dead. 

Yalsa had finally succumbed to his injury, and lay where he had collapsed on the ground, those remaining had formed a protective circle to deny the Yhi another host. Basa, Raha saw, was holding up, but he was in obvious pain.

They fought hard and dirty for the next hour, and when the Yhi finally stopped coming there were hundreds of their numbers dead. Raha found herself surprised to be alive. She was drenched in sweat and shook uncontrollably from nerves and exhaustion. Her arms, face, and stomach were all bleeding from the yhi that had gotten too close for comfort. The remaining Yhi retreated back into the Hall.

"The Queen has recalled her Cadre." Yaha panted, her hand resting on the fallen Yalsa. They were all bleeding now, but none of them were as bad their unconscious comrade. They all rested uneasily in the shadow of the ominous alien hall.

"Where is Arsu?" Courtney asked concerned, as she tried to deal with her exhaustion. The looks she got in return told her more than words would.

"Raha," Yaha said when they had recovered a little. She stood and approached Yaha, who as their leader began in a loud voice, "Your Raya has come early, an experience that has proven that you are no longer saru. In the absence of your teacher, and as leader of this hunting party, I take authority to mark your passage to the station of hunter, the Fausi." Raha removed her mask knowing what would come next, "I mark you with the symbol of Gui'Yata under the line of Coysa, under whose teachings you were trained. You have honored your line today, and I credit Gui'Yata for your valor and cunning."

There were approving looks as Yaha broke off a Yhi finger and burned Gui'Yatas mark between Rahas brows. All thought her performance was deserving of the passing, whether or not they liked her personally. Without a word Nobaya and Basa gathered Arsu's things laying them in the tarp where they had put his body. Risking another fight, they took the corpse into the main hall. They set the detonator on Arsu's wrist for a delayed destruct.

When they returned Yaha addressed the group, "Let us collect our trophies and be gone quickly. The Yhi are unpredictable and just may attack again." They gathered trophies for themselves and for Yalsa, who could not. To Raha the mood seemed grim, and she retrieved her trophies from earlier in the day, with oppressive silence surrounding her. The sun had begun to go down, and they kept a pace that would take them to the shuttle quickly. Nobaya and Yaha were burdened with the task of carrying Yalsa back, but the added weight did not slow them.

As they topped a small rise the ground shuddered beneath their feet. Courtney turned to watch a cloud of light and debris rise from the site of the great hall and whispered the "Prayer for Those Lost."

As they entered the shuttle, and readied to leave, Raha checked Yalsa on last time. He roused as she gave him another shot for the pain.

"How are you?" Raha asked with a doctors concern. She turned his head to check the scratches on his face and skull.

"Tired, Raha, but I am alright," He grinned at her, more a bearing of teeth than a human smile, when she allowed him to look forward again, "I will not die this hunt. If for no other reason than to spite you, clusu." he told her with conviction. She smiled back at him, realizing his reference was a joke, his strength of spirit would help in his recovery. She stood and moved to Basa's side, his arm was hot and tender, all she could do was give another pain killer, she did not know enough of their physiology to administer any further treatment.

They were asleep before the landing vehicle broke out of the planet's gravity, exhausted from a full day of fighting. Courtney's dreams were filled with hideous shining black bodies swarming over her, their eyeless faces mocking her, sharp claws that caught at her clothing, scratching her skin, and crystalline teeth closing on her throat to stifle her screams. She awoke with a start to a quietly humming shuttle, and her sleeping brethren. She stared across at the oversized skull of the Yhi hanging on the wall across from her, its toothy grin seeming to know of her fear, and it mocked her. She raised an unsteady hand to the scar on her brow. She was unable to sleep the rest of the trip.

Arriving at Quarta, the shuttle was unloaded in tired silence. Yalsa was taken off last, and was carried to the Soyara for treatment, Courtney went along, to ensure that he would be alright. Yaha had already left to make her report to the council.

Yaha entered the council chamber, finding it empty of all the members but Quona.

"The council is not in session?" she said with considerable confusion. He gave no response, and she could not ask if he would not volunteer the information. He just looked at her expectantly. She quickly gave her report, and stood silently waiting for the questions he was sure to ask.

After reviewing the recordings from the expedition he finally spoke.

"I am distressed to hear of Arsu's loss. But ubder the circumstances I am pleased that the group returned at all. Raha passed this unexpected Raya intact?"

"Yes, her performance was impressive. Being ill equipped to deal with Yhi, as we were, I would have expected her to balk. She dealt with her fear honorably, fighting well under extreme pressure. She was sent into the hive with Nobaya, a task I would not have given to any other Saru, I fear my prejudice compelled me to send her there. She has more courage than I would have credited her with, before today. It seems I had been listening to Koratan too long. Hers was the first kill, and I have marked her passage under Gui'Yatas line.

"Also, there is something else. When Yalsa was injured, it was something... that we did not know how to deal with, extensive muscle damage." she shook her head, "Under normal conditions, we would have been forced to leave him. Raha insisted on treating his leg, though we could not, Yalsa almost refused her help. She was forced to shame him into taking it. Her treatment was expertly accomplished, and he was able to go on fighting. It is possible that Yalsa may get the full use of his leg again." she paused seemingly undecided whether or not to continue, "Raha may be a good candidate for Soyasa." she said reluctantly, humbly. She knew that her judgement might be taken lightly, for she was not one to listen to orders. But she had to get the point across, it was the first time she had ever felt so strongly about a candidate.

"She will be," he said knowingly, "She treated her own people, in much the same way, from what I have been told. We will approach her with the idea, we have been too dependent on Quarta, and could use a Soyasa, again. It has been too long since Coysa was lost. How is Basa?"

"He is expected to recover fully, the burn was only superficial, and it was treated quick enough to minimize infection. Raha has instincts for it, though she has treated our kind but once before."

Courtney dragged herself to her quarters, intent on dying when she got there. She had never been so tired or sore, ever. At least she knew Yalsa would be all right, It still remained to be seen if he would regain 100% mobility in that leg. Basa was not in doubt, she had seen worse chemical burns in the clinic, but injuries as bad as Yalsas did not often heal fully. Then again, Earth did not have the medical technology these people did. It seemed strange, two months ago she would have thought the Soua barbaric... animals, but they were people. Much different than the human race, better in some ways, worse in others, but definitely people.

She believed that she had made a new alliance or two. That made her feel better. And now that she was a Fausi, she was an accepted member of the Pack.

Once she had convinced Yalsa that she was not the bogeyman he had been willing to talk to her. She had found him extremely intelligent, and interesting in the short while that she was there watching Quarta tend his leg.

Nobaya had been the only one on the hunt who, from the first, did not seem to mind that she was a human. He had been openly kind to her, showing her small things in the lull of the fighting that would help her in the future. He had been angry at her interruption of his shot, but instead of berating her, he had discussed it. He was not condescending, and explained to her that things were not always what they seemed.

There was no second thought when he had saved her in the Great Hall. When she had thanked him, he was puzzled, replying, "You are my huntsman, why should I not help you?" She was Soua to him, and she was glad that he was so willing to accept her.

Basa was at the other end of the spectrum, very reluctant to accept that she was anything but clusu. He had grudgingly recognized that she had passed her test and was now a Fausi. But his conversations remained closed to her, and his looks were still full of contempt. Well, she would win him over if they were meant to be friends, but there was no use pushing it. That was the way enemies were made. Her thought turned to Arsu's loss, and her stomach convulsed. He had not spoken once to her, but that did not lessen her sorrow for the loss of his life.

Courtney's door buzzed, and she jumped, realizing that she had been asleep.

"Come in" she said in English, shortly realizing her mistake. She was about to rephrase it but the door slid open and Gui'Yata stepped inside.

"I had heard of your return," He said trying not to sound relieved, he did not succeed. He stepped up close to her, running his finger over the still tender scar between her eyes, "You honor my line, Courtney." He added quietly, his voice rich with emotions, somewhere between relief and happiness.

"I told you that I would," she said with a smile, "The hunt was not quite what I expected. Hunt, hell, that was a fight for survival." she said, pushing her bangs out of the way of her face, then more calmly, "The prey turned out to be Yhi not Shisi, it was more difficult than I thought."

"I know, Quona informed me shortly after your departure. I was... worried that I might lose you."

A look of shock passed over Courtney's' face, something about his tone was odd. And a thought crossed her mind that scared her more than anything she had just gone through. Was he attracted to her? Gods, no!

He shrugged, "You are, after all my only student," he said seemingly to cover his slip, "Have I said something wrong?" She obviously had not buried her emotion deep enough, for he had picked up on her stress.

"I... I..." she stammered. He looked thoroughly confused, and that flustered Courtney more.

She plopped down on the bed, her brows furrowed as she looked again at him, "Are... you attracted to me?" She blurted, with what she hoped was the right degree of incredulity.

Now it was Gui'Yatas turn to be uncomfortable, but he had a more straightforward answer than she expected, "Yes... but I realize that we are incompatible." She threw up her hands in a mixture of exasperation, confusion and anger. "This confuses me too, Raha." he used her formal name to put some distance on the subject, He moved over to the door, "Would you rather I lie to you?" she shook her head once, refusing to look at him, "No, I thought not. There are things about you that fascinate me, things the others have not seen, for they have not worked with you. That is what is attractive, I do not wish to mate with you, the thought never crossed my mind." he sounded almost disgusted that she thought he would consider such a thing.

There were several tensely silent moments, "I..." Courtney started, "I am confused, Gui, because, in spite of my better judgement, I find myself feeling the same." He spun around to face her, the statement had honestly shocked him, "This whole experience has been the most interesting thing to ever happen in my life. You would not believe how paranoid you get living on Earth. Never knowing when death is going to reach out and grab you. Here, I am able to face it, to take some control on it." She paused a moment, realizing that she had just confused the issue, "When you were injured, back on Earth, I felt like my heart had been torn out. I thought I would die when I found you near death in the soyara. It was an immediate attraction to the newness, the danger you represented, I realize that now. It is all the better that you have become the best friend I have ever had."

Again the cabin fell silent, Courtney changed to a safer subject, "I seem to have made some alliances."

He nodded, seeming relieved that she had moved their attention elsewhere, "I had hoped that would happen. Who?" he started dragging her gently by the arm behind him. 

"Nobaya was one of them. He was very helpful during the hunt. Where are we going?"

"Come with me, I have something to show you... bring your trophies."

She looked puzzled, but she did as he said, they came to the central chamber.

"It is tradition of the Soua to mount the trophies of the hunt upon a successful return." He picked up her hand and set it to the wall. The doors parted to reveal a display case, denuded of all trophies. "This case is yours, and will only open to your hand. You may arrange it in any way you wish." He took a step back and watched as she slowly pulled the large yhi head from her bag, it had already been cleaned, and was now snow white. Several marks had been carved in it near the crown, showing the actual number that she had actually taken. She put the skull in the very center of the display, facing all that would see it.

"It is an impressive specimen, Congratulations."

She pulled out the yhi tail from the bag, looking to her mentor and friend, "I wish to make this into a sasa, will you show me how?" He nodded.

"Those are very effective," he stated approvingly, "they never dull." he grabbed her wrist, leaning close to her ear, "I am sorry for making you uncomfortable. Thank you for being honest, I know your culture is not strong on honesty."

She put her hand on his cheek and smiled, feeling better now that she knew she was not just being strange. That her blooming affection for the alien was not one way.

A lot changed for Courtney following the hunt, her responsibilities increased three-fold. And shortly after she had recuperated they had approached her about becoming a soyasa, she had agreed, only too interested in what medicine she could learn. That had been the only thing bothering her about being an EMT, she had always wanted to become a fully qualified paramedic. But there had never been time. 

She began to think she would regret the decision, she had little enough time as it was, between her continued training, studies on Soua society and hopefully the chance to sleep, and she was hard put to get those studies in as well. She had found that Quarta was only too happy to divulge all it knew. The Soua were unaccustomed to treating their own injuries, except what was needed to survive a mildly bad hunt. They were unwilling to learn the more complicated techniques, leaving the serious injuries to the Soyasa. If one was not availible the responsibility fell to Quarta, or another Taya. This ship had a Soyasa at the beginning of its voyage, an Eesa. He was mortally wounded in one of the first hunts, acting as Taura for the newest group of Fausi. So they had gone on relying on Quarta to tend their wounds. It had taken a lot of digging to find out who the soyasa had been. She went cold when the name was divulged. It had been when Gui'Yata was about six, on a smaller training hunt. The leader had been Coysa, and his death was the result of friendly fire, one of the overanxious youths had fired on him before identifying his target. With the hunting tapes, and the deposition of the other Fausi on the hunt, including Gui'Yata, the youth had been required to take his own life. They had no use for such behavior. Courtney shook her head, wishing she had not dredged up that information.

Quarta had gone over the differences in the medical kits in intricate detail, making sure it was ingrained not to use any of the chemicals in her kit on a Soua, for it could prove dangerous. The mechanical devices could be used for either species.

The mechanical devices included apparatus for holding closed small wounds, scalpels (or an equivalent, they were not like the ones Courtney was accustomed to), syringes, and sressra.

Her totant formula was different as well as the antiseptics, serums and painkillers. She had been rather amazed to find out that the catalyst for totant could be mixed with any chalky substance to form the finished product, a seal that replicated skin, keeping out dirt, bacteria, and germs until the wound(s) could be properly treated.

Her and Gui'Yatas uncomfortable discussion slipped gratefully to the back of both their minds as they occupied themselves with other things.


	10. Soona

Chapter Nine: Soona

Chapter Nine: Soona

Soona was the only habitable planet in orbit around the larger of the binary stars. The star had been named Chai, pronounced "shy", and its brother had been dubbed Sars. Three other planets shared the system, Ouis rotated around Sars, while Aasa and Fwen rotated around Chai.

There were only two seasons on the Soua's home planet, the equivalent of Spring and Summer. Temperatures ranged from 110 degrees in the Spring to 190 degrees during the summer solstice.

Summer was the roughest season on the planet. The gravitational pull of the second star, and the increased heat played havoc on its inhabitants. Torrential showers and electrical storms created by rapidly evaporating water doused the surface, and when it was not raining the temperature was enough to cook things. The earthquakes on the planet were enough to devastate the whole of the United States, and could never be measured by Earths seismology equipment. They were approximated to her as being 15 as compared to the Richter scale. Those were the smaller ones.

The flora and fauna of the planet had adapted to such a harsh environment, the trees were extremely deep rooted, and tightly interwoven, some even grown together, to provide stability during seismic activity, as well as relief from the extreme heat. The leaves of the plants were very dark, almost black, on the underside of the canopy, and very light on the crowns of the five hundred-foot trees, to reflect heat back into the atmosphere. The forest temperature remained an even one hundred twelve degrees year round, and most of the life was contained under its canopy. Undergrowth was very scarce, for there was little light that penetrated the canopy above. Most of the plant life that thrived under forest boughs was fungal, reaching incredible sizes. Some species had attained at least a small amount of sentience, including the breed that the Soua used for shelter.

The bogs were pocked with deep sinks, and spots of quicksand and other that the forrests, very little of the surface rose above the water. What did was covered in dense purple marsh grasses, and small stunted trees. The few mountain ranges were their desert, there was little or no vegetation and what little animal life lived there stayed underground.

The wildlife was just as hardy, becoming specialized for each particular section of the planet. Most of the species she had read about were extremely dangerous. There were very few true herbivores, most were omnivorous of carnivorous.

There was one other intelligent species on the planet called Noa. The file said that they were completely blind, and instead had developed a keen extremely accurate form of radar. They thrived in deep forest, living on the surface with stilted houses made of wood, to prevent flooding. They were extremely fierce, hunting in large packs. Their natural ability to strip a carcass in less than five minutes made them extremely dangerous. Sharp scraping teeth and powerful enzymes in the saliva were some of their favorite weapons in the small wars they sometimes started with the Soua.

They arrived on Soona in the heaviest part of a midsummer storm. Before Courtney and Gui'Yata made their way from their quarters the Soua's prisoners were moved out of the ship.

The heat of the surface struck the soldiers as a physical presence. Their eyes burned with the brilliance of the two suns just beginning to break through the clouds. They tried to adjust to its intensity, after spending the entire trip here in the constant dusk of their cell.

They lingered at the ship entrance as they took in the totally unexpected sight. All of them had reluctantly agreed these were extremely advanced creatures. Each of them had built a picture in their minds of miles upon miles of steel wire and composite. The pristine environment that confronted them was completely contradictory to that picture. They could barely tell that there was a landing field. It was surrounded completely by tall stalks of purple grass. Beyond the grasses rose a proud looking forest, impossibly tall to the mans standards.

Their awed staring was interrupted by two of their large guards, who roughly shoved them into moving down the ramp onto the tarmac. The landing site was several inches deep in tepid water, and it began to burn through their heavy boots.

Their captors formed a loose circle around them, and the largest of them burbled something at the bewildered troopers. They relayed their confusion with blank stares, and the creature made itself more clear by leveling its weapon at his waist. The other creatures did the same, motioning away from them into the open grasses.

They wanted them to leave the tarmac? Why? He did not let the question bother him too much, tapping his nearest companion to follow him into the wilderness. With out further assistance, they bolted for the tall concealing grasses.

A thought occurred to the senior man as he tried to make good his escape. The thought, of providing running targets for the creatures made his blood go cold, and spurred him to a faster pace. He panted hard as he pushed his weak body beyond its meager limits, waiting for the inevitable pain, to mark the weapon had caught up to him.

But that pain did not come, and he slowed his pace coming to a stop, and turned to face the landing site. Two of the remaining guards just stood there, watching their flight with detached interest, the others slowly making their way off the tarmac toward the forest that loomed high above them. He was more than a little confused, this did not match anything he had been taught about being a prisoner. Why would they bring captives all of the way back to their planet, just to release them? It made no sense at all.

He did not have much time to linger on that train of thought, however, for a pained scream reached him from somewhere off to the right and a little forward of his position. He ran that direction searching through the grasses. The scream had definitely been human, and he soon found the source of the sound, and in finding it, proceeded to lose what little was left in his stomach. One of his crew in his blind flight had stumbled upon some... creature. The creature was not unlike a sea anemone, its purple red-spotted tentacles were wrapped around what was left of the young soldier. Every place the tentacles had touched the skin, it had been reduced to a gelatinous mass. The soldier was reaching for him feebly, mouthing for help but no sound came from his lips.

The soldier backed away in horror, unable to bring himself to even try to help his former comrade. Other screams reached him and he whirled to face each, panting hard, sweating in his paranoia. He searched the ground restlessly for more monstrosities trying to claim him. He was unwilling to move fearful of stumbling into another of the anemone creatures. He sank to his knees crying like a child, frozen in fear.

Courtney noticed the humidity change as soon as she stepped through the hatch. The rain was coming in sheets, and it should have cooled the temperature, instead it made the heat almost unbearable. The water was almost hot on Courtney's bare skin.

Everyone else had departed the ship and was making their way to the outer edges of the landing platform. The rain abruptly dissipated and Courtney stopped short, finally seeing the surroundings. Never had she seen such a pristine place, the trees rose higher than she could look up. She could tell that even at this distance. The area around the spaceport was chest deep in a tall purple colored grass. There were relatively few buildings surrounding the landing area, not what she expected from what was the major spaceport on the planet. Ten other ships were parked in various spots along the field. One or two were similar to Quarta, the other Taya. Taya had been, somewhere in their past, integrated with technology, becoming cyborgs. Now that integration was in their genes, and it passed from one generation to the next. There were smaller ships dotted between the larger ones, all purely technological. Those were for the smaller parties, or single manhunts. Several had drop ships, for those parties that were not hunting together but were hunting in the same sector.

"Where is everyone?" Courtney queried, as her partner came up behind her.

"They are in the shade, where we should be."

"Why?"

"The moisture will dry quickly in the ray of two suns. It is hot in the summer, too hot for even us to be out for any length of time." He explained.

He walked around her and headed for a tall bubble settled at the far end of the landing platform. It was a construct made of a semi-transparent material. Courtney fell quickly in behind, not wanting to get lost on this strange world. She questioned the wisdom of that decision when she saw what the building held.

The creatures were about twelve feet tall, remotely resembling birds, not unlike ostriches. They were scaled over most of the body with the exception of primary and secondary feathers on the wings, and a fan of feathers that adorned the tip of the reptilian tail.

Their legs were thick and strong, with opposing toes such as a tree climber on Earth would have. Their small heads were horned and the beak was serrated. Overall its color was a blue-green, with purple stripes. And it was indeed a very wicked looking creature.

"What the hell are those?!" Courtney exclaimed in English.

Gui'Yata turned to face her, "They are Yimhi. Used for local travel, Soua have bred them to be runners as well as tree climbers, such as their ancestors were."

Courtney nodded dumbly, "Whatever you say."

She watched carefully as Gui'Yata quickly saddled the nearest. With a signal she did not see, the creature lifted a leg, and Gui'Yata used it as a ladder to climb on board. He motioned her over and lifted her onto the animal's back, in front of where he was seated.

He cooed at the beast and it headed for the entrance. Once outside it picked up speed, attaining a pace she would not have thought possible from an animal. The purple grass looked liquid as they traveled over it. They reached the trees quickly, the yimhi deftly avoiding large boles as they made their way deeper into the forest. She caught glimpses of strange creatures moving through the trees parallel the trail. Courtney's looked back toward the trail, her eyes went wide as they approached the bole of a large tree, wider than any she had seen previous, going breakneck speed. She closed her eyes knowing they would be unable to stop in time to avoid the tree. When the expected impact did not happen she slowly opened them. Just in time for the yimhis leap, it latched onto the side of the large conifer, and in jarring hops continued up the tree. She looked toward the ground, they were high up already. She swallowed hard. The yimhi slowed when it reached a branch, jumping to the side and down, breaking backing into a ground eating run. It broke through concealing leaves and Courtney gasped at the sight before her. On the bole of the tree, one that was even larger than the one they had just come up, were dozens of bubbles growing like fungus. The bubbles were clustered close together, looking grown rather than built. They glinted and as she got closer she could see that the bubbles were laced with fine wires, and small squares glowed steadily. Transparencies were set directly into the flesh of the growths. The natural hollows of the tree had been expanded into networks of tunnels, which led to more of the bubbles on the other side of the bole of the tree. Between the larger branches platforms, wide and flat, had been erected, by using the smaller branches intertwined, then covering them with a hard but breathable substance. Compared to their mode of travel, the city was infinitely more sophisticated. Two tall spires, clearly not organic, grew through the thick canopy of leaves, to reach the intense sunlight above. They looked to Courtney that the city could house thousands.

When she asked about the immensity of the city, Gui'Yata replied that only five to seven hundred Soua were here permanently. This was the central capital of the planet, and being close to the main spaceport was visited often. Several thousand transited through, arriving in the city to either leave on a hunting party, or to rest after a hunt, before journeying back to their homes. Very rarely it was used to settle disputes between warring factions, to which most of the population would come, just to see the fight. Or for gatherings to exchange fighting techniques, and hunting stories.

Most of the permanent residents lived scattered among the surrounding trees. Gui'Yata was one such, he lived on the far side of the city, a dwelling that had been set aside for him when he had been accepted for training. It was a gift of his teacher Coysa, on the proviso that he survived his training. They were going to have to go through the city to reach his residence.

Already Courtney was thinking of the contradictions of this society. The spaceport, this city, their weapons, all were very advanced, they were technologically smart. Yet they dressed like primitives, their travel was crude, she was beginning to think that she would never fully understand this race. Or perhaps it was the ideal civilization, she reminded herself that she could not really make a judgement on what little she knew.

A few of the Taura had reached the platform before Gui'Yata and Courtney had left the landing field. And already rumor was going around about the strange creature who had shared their journey back home.

"But what does this creature look like?"

"You have hunted humans, Toso." he said slapping the Soua, "Thin skinned, short, this one is shorter than most. They are self destructive, violent. They have no honor."

"Why was the clusu brought here? Why was it not killed?"

"She is clusu no longer, Sama, she has passed Raya, and is now Fausi. She was originally brought on board because Gui'Yata had marked her as Yanahara. She had saved his life, so when she was injured he brought her on board to save her life. When we were forced to leave by a human attack she was stuck on board."

"A clusu serving the pack? That is outrageous!"

"My guess is she did it to remain alive for the trip back. But she is considerably talented, I have fought her myself, when she was still in training. She could surprise you."

A large party of Soua, of different ages, looking at once curious and appalled by her presence met the two at the landing. Gui'Yata lowered her down from the yimhi, and quickly dismounted himself. The bird immediately retired to a building similar to the one they had retrieved it from.

"Looks as if I have already gained notoriety." she whispered to her towering companion.

As soon as they were down the group closed in on them. The questions came all at once until one of the older Soua quieted them, and became the voice for the group. Courtney was taken aback because all of the questions were directed at Gui'Yata, and the only attention given to her were obscenely curious stares and prodding. Several times Gui'Yata was forced to growl a warning when they began to get too personal. They were really shocked when she gave her own warning, they obviously thought she was incapable of speaking their language.

Courtney's attention was caught by something beyond the crowd, she strained to see through the constantly shifting gaps between the people around her. Off to one side of the landing stood a lone Soua, his ornate mask reflecting the half-light from the transparency. Her curiosity got the better of her and she forcibly moved toward the edge of the group. Courtney pushed through them, only receiving a few stares, stopping as she passed the outermost ring of bodies, watching the aloof stranger. Those who came near him in their path took pains to avoid him. He was relatively young about twenty Soona years if she was any judge. He was a head taller than Gui'Yata and colored in a very dull brown. He fidgeted with one of the skulls hanging from his neck, as if debating between two courses of action. He looked at her and then immediately away, as though he wished not to be caught looking. This confused her, but she shrugged and reluctantly turned her attention away. She took her first good look of the landing, glad to be away from the center of attention, if only for a little while. The floor, walls and ceiling were all the color of deep ivory, light but not so bright that it hurt the eyes. There were a few small branches that had grown through the floor, which had been carefully tended as decoration, by creatures that looked a lot like spiders. These creatures were one or two segments longer, with ten appendages, six legs and four arms, the eyes were slit like a lizard. All maintenance functions here seemed to be performed by creatures other than Soua. Nearest the transparent growth was a number of benches, only slightly darker than the floor, for use by small gatherings or hunting parties. She headed for them, fully aware of the silent Soua that followed her at a distance.

She touched the wall of the bubble feeling the warmth generated by the creature, feeling the faint pulse of its blood. The creature responded seemingly glad for the contact, by warming even further. She sat on the bench and looked out over the forest, watching creatures on branches below basking in the sun that filtered through the canopy above. It was so pristine, the Soua lived in harmony with their surroundings, adapting the wildlife to their purposes, instead of warring with them at every turn, as humans did. This reminded her of all those places she had heard about but had never been able to see. Yellowstone, Yosemite, The California Redwoods, all of them were gone before she ever got the chance to witness their beauty. Torn down so the land could be used to house the ever-growing population, of the United States. She had never known how overwhelming nature could be, until now. She let all the thoughts of her bitter childhood slip away, allowing the beauty to wrap itself around her, feeling giddy.

She did not notice when the Soua sat beside her, trying to stop the trembling in his hands. She turned away from the window to be confronted by the ornate mask of her reclusive visitor. She tried not to jump as she replied, "Good day, huntsman."

There was no reply but there was something about his framing, he was tense. His gaze burned into her, sizing her up quickly, before he stood and disappeared into the finally dispersing crowd.

Gui'Yata stepped over to Courtney still sitting dumbfounded on the bench. That must have been the strangest meeting she had ever had.

"You left, are you tired of my peoples attentions, so soon?" he said humorously.

She smiled sardonically, "Who is the Soua with the artful mask?" still watching his retreating form.

"Sora? Best to stay away from him, he is crazy. No one stays around him, and he hunts alone. He has hurt many people in the past. Rumors purport that he is a mute as well, though I would not be sure of that. If I had been through what he has, I would keep my silence too." Gui'Yata sounded as if he was a little bit sorry for the Soua.

"He acted as if he wanted something." she mused.

Gui'Yatas warning did nothing to abate her curiosity about Sora. She had seen him several times more, always at a distance, and he was always watching her. After several weeks of searching and asking with her limited pull as Fausi, Courtney finally was able to get the location of the Taura Sora's dwelling. It was on the outskirts of the city, standing alone on one of the upper branches. The exterior of the dwelling was very beautiful. The smaller branches were all decorated with bits of cloth, bone and metal wind chimes, strips of skins. So much so that the blue-black leaves were not visible in the blowing artwork. And the air sang with music. Over the door hung the skull of a shisi, and bones were set artfully in the walls. This Soua had an eye for arranging. She was broke out of her admiration by a loud crash, and she froze. Then she took several steps back, as the first crash was followed more clamor.

The cacophony died down quickly, and the dwelling fell into silence. Courtney took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She had a feeling this was not going to be pretty. But she was compelled to find out what this Soua wanted of her. She took reluctant, cautious steps toward the bubble, hearing his rapid breath, sounding like a creature gone mad. She peered around the corner of the frame, taking in the place condition. It was in shambles, furniture and decorations lay splintered on the floor.

Sora was curled up against the far wall, hugging his knees, rocking quietly back and forth. His wiry body was wracked with spasms, and his arms were slashed from elbow to wrist, bleeding profusely on the floor. He faced her, but if he saw her he gave no indication, he just continued cradling himself.

"Taura Sora?" she said tentatively from the door, and was met by silence.

She took a step into the room, carefully eyeing him to make sure he was not going to burst into violence again. She moved over next to him, and knelt down beside him. She noticed even in this dim light that he was heavily scarred over his chest and arms, by slashes much the same as those that were open now.

She touched him lightly, "Sora? May I assist you?" she said softly. He reacted slowly to the stimulus.

His gaze seemed to become more focused, though it was hard to tell through the single lense of his battle helm.

He began to speak, but it was soft and broken, and Courtney only caught parts of it, "I have...need...of your... knowledge...heal...mind...soyasa..."

He was asking for her help, or rather she had offered assistance so he was able to tell her of his problem. The Soua were a proud people, infirmities were hidden if at all possible. His reluctance stemmed from that social moral, it was especially "weak" if a Taura asked assistance of a Fausi, unless it was first offered. From the shambles of the room around her she was aware that his infirmity was no longer something he was able to hide.

Over the next couple of hours, she had moved all of the rubble to one side of the dwelling, her violent host seemed to have fallen asleep. It was then she treated Soras injuries. During her treatment Sora started awake, seeming surprised that she was there. She had to explain to him what had happened for he could not remember and she in turn listened as he explained his condition to her. He had hopes that she might be able to help treat his violent depressive episodes, where his own kind had given up on him. "I become aware when they pass, but have no recollection of the events during. Only of the results." he said staring at his arms, then gazing about the room. He had expressed deep sorrow for all of the brethren he had hurt in his fits of rage, but knew, with a certain depressed certainty, that he was unable to control them. He stressed that he had tried, he sounded guilt-ridden.

"I have no will of my own, just these rages that rule me... I am tired of hiding from my people, I want to be a Soua again. Not some raging, destructive animal," She saw pain and anger ripple across his body, he ran a hand over his scarred chest. "These are not honorable..." he finished quietly.

His Combat helm was a work of art, he had designed it himself. The metal looked like flames over his eyes, and metal spikes rose from his brows up the centerline disappearing at the back edge. His visor was a wedge narrowing at either end, giving no suggestion of eyes at all. The lower half of the mask was intricately decorated with mock scratches, perfectly symmetrical. It was also different in another way from most Souas helms. The mask was designed with vents, so it could be used without bottles. The vents could be sealed for use on the hunt as well. That was because he wore it almost all the time, and their battle mixture was to precious to waste on normal every day use. Courtney wondered why, and she soon found out.

"Why do you wear the helm all the time?" She had asked with innocent curiosity. Instead of explaining he removed his mask and showed her the evidence, she blanched at the sight of his face. An ugly puckered scar started high on his forehead, running from right to left across his left eyebrow and eye, ending on his cheek. He had designed the mask beautifully to attempt to forget the ugliness that the mask hid.

"This is only flesh," he had said, "The real wound is on the inside, and it has not healed."

His hunting party had been attacked, late one night, when he was five, shortly after his Raya. No one had expected the superstitious Sesaya to come out in the pitch of their night. But they had been stirred up by a fanatic, and he wanted blood, no matter whose it was.

So they had attacked in the dead of night, while the party rested for the coming hunt. The Sesaya descended on them stealthily, and devastated the group, Sora and two others were the only ones to live through the experience. But a Sesaya sword had seriously injured Sora, and even Soua medicine could not save his left eye. A Sesaya sword is always tipped with poison, desiccating venom, which eats the flesh. Their emergency medicos had nothing to counteract the venom, and by the time the injured party had returned his eye had been eaten away. Some brain damage had been sustained from the poison.

After the incident even his instructor was unsure if Sora could, or would complete his training for Taura. Their lack of faith had made him determined to prove that he could be a better hunter than even fully sighted ones. He did not want sympathy, and he proceeded to make Taura without ever touching a piece of armor, or a weapon more technological than the Raspa. This was to the amazement of all who knew him, but his people were still frightened of him. The damage had not marred his intelligence, but it had made him unpredictably, uncontrollably violent.

She had vowed to keep her help to him a secret, he was very proud and just as he had fought to make Taura, he was going to prove that he would recover enough to be able to rejoin society.

Courtney slipped off of her yimhi and retrieved the gauntlets from its leg pack. She signaled it to stay and it settled on its haunches, waiting patiently for her return.

She took a deep breath, still unsure whether she was in over her head or not. She was no Psychologist, and not even sure how the Soua mind worked, she was still not completely through her studies as Soyasa. But, she had obligated herself to at least try.

She gripped the gauntlets tighter: they were for Sora. When she had seen how he had shredded his arms and chest, she had gone searching for something that might protect him from himself. She found Habade hide, a skin so tough that it required laser or plasma to cut and shape. It was taken from another native of this planet, a creature that for its size and shape reminded her of a Brontosaurus. She was required to trade a lot of her talent to "buy" the material and have it made into gauntlets.

Taking a deep breath she approached the deathly silent dwelling, it was extremely dark inside, no noise reached her.

She cleared her throat, "Sora?" she said ready for flight at the first signs of violence.

"Come..." the toneless, disembodied voice floated to her.

Stepping just inside the dwelling, she paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimness. She saw Sora seated on what passed for his bed. He was without his mask, and his one eye was trained on a sculpture on the left-hand wall.

"I came as I promised," she offered. Slowly he turned his head and looked over at her, reminding her of a tiger sizing up a piece of meat, "I...I brought you something." She stepped quickly across coming to a stop in front of him, feeling slightly guilty about her apprehension.

She held the gauntlets at arm length and he reluctantly took them from her. His look was one of puzzlement.

"These are for?" he asked.

"They are to prevent injury to your arms," she said pointing at the scars, "I cannot, I will not lie to you, Taura. Treatment will take time, I cannot guarantee that you will recover fully. These will keep you from harming yourself during your bouts."

His expression darkened, at the reminder of his violent nature, he returned his attention to the gift, studying the workmanship, "Habade? This is not cheap, the work is Osu's, and his work comes with some expense."

"My time under his tutelage was well spent if these will help." She stated.

She knelt beside him and assisted him in donning them, they were a perfect fit. Sora ran his hands over the material again and again, seemingly fascinated by them. Courtney got up and began to look around. In the few days since she was last here the room had been straightened, and the furniture did not even look as if they had been touched, much less trashed. As was the outside of his dwelling, the inside was a giant piece of artwork. It was a large space, the growth was at least twenty years old, and there were no divisions so all of the floor space was open. All of the furniture was set against the walls. The comm wall was set just inside the door, a set of heat transmitting units that were along the same lines as a computer screen.

Inset in the walls were shelves and shelves of artifacts from different worlds. Every piece was art, from the children's toy to the etched silver weapon. She reached to touch one and was hindered by a transparent covering, so that was how they had survived the violence of their owner. 

Next to the case was a neatly carved, narrow table that stood no more than six inches off the floor. On the table was the extent of Soras' personal items, a few articles of clothing, a small dagger, and his retracted raspa. There was a matching table on the opposite side of the display case, but it was completely empty, Sora's ornate mask hung directly above it.

His bed consisted of a thick fur pad of a dark green brown, over which was a strange off-world quilt, color blending into color, so that it was hard to distinguish where one started and the other ended. The pillow was just a roll of padding, tied at either end with braided violet hair.

She heard Sora get up from the bed and approach her, she turned too quickly, giving away her fright. She was only slightly relieved to see that he looked as uptight as she felt.

She could not look at his face for to long without being sickened by it. And she hated herself for feeling that way, for he had enough of that kind of treatment.

"You have an extensive collection of artwork here. Are they all from hunts?" she offered trying to take her mind off dangerous trains of thought.

"No, some I bought from others who had taken them as trophies. You see visual light?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes." she stated, quite puzzled.

"How does it look to you?"

"It is quite beautiful, you have an eye for it." She shrunk back realizing what she had just said. He just looked at her.

"And me?" he said, running a hand down the scar on his forehead, then running a finger over the socket void of the eye.

She took in a sharp breath, "What do you want me to say Sora?" she did not want to offend him, he could easily kill her.

"Look at me!" he bellowed at her, and she did so as a reaction, turning quickly away again, "I am horrid, even you think so." he turned away, "I cannot even be among my own kind. Not even those who were with me that hunt will acknowledge me. They avoid me as if I am a yosa, treating me as a ghost among them."

He spun on her, his eye wild, "I received this honorably! Yet I am punished. For an event I was unlucky enough not to have foreseen, having no control except to survive." He slumped to the ground. Courtney stepped slowly over to him, overwhelmed with sympathy at the poor Soua's condition. She lay a hand on his shoulder, finding out quickly, that was a mistake. Sora spun with more speed than she had ever seen. He grabbed her arms, pinning her to the wall, she felt as if her arms were going to snap in his bear-trap grip. Her legs flailed helplessly two feet from the floor. She managed to wedge her knee between the two of them.

She tried to fight off the pain, feeling his claws start to penetrate her skin, she managed to look at him again. His look was of an enraged animal.

"Sora! Let go of me!" she screamed at him, trying to break through that haze of madness, "You are not an animal! You are Soua, a Taura, act like one!" She screamed and screamed unsure how much effect she was having on him. His grip had stopped tightening, but he stood there for long moments trembling with rage. Several moments later his head drooped, and his grip slackened, and she dropped heavily on the floor.

He stood arms limply at his sides, head down, Courtney stared up at him angrily, rubbing her bruised arms. She scuttled out from under his shadow, out of easy reach and stood up. She was of a mind to leave him.

He seemed to read that thought, "So you will give up on me too?" he said quietly, looking at his feet, his rage past. He roared sinking his nails into the wall of the dwelling Courtney shrunk back.

"I know what I promised, Sora, but...You scare me. I want to help you, but how can I when I cannot predict when you may hurt me?"

"There may be a way...please help me." Sora said. Turning to face her, he looked earnest and desperate. She was sure he did not enjoy being like this. Thinking hard she bit her lip, could she really trust him?

What he suggested was a device set into the gauntlets and another in the wall. When he became too unruly it was tripped and the devices would attract to each other. And he would remain tethered to the wall until he was calm enough. Only then would he be released. Not even a Soua could resist the devices.

At her next session she was very cautious, but that availed her nothing for his rages came swiftly, frequently and without warning. Sora had not come after her this particular time but began to take his rage out on the furniture. Shaking almost uncontrollably, Courtney was forced to activate his gauntlets. It looked cruel, the Soua struggling frantically against the restraints, all too much like a cat on a leash for the first time. This went on for twenty minutes before he collapsed, hanging by his wrists from the wall.

Her times with the Soua were always stressing, but she found herself learning every time she tried to help him. Her training seemed to advance very rapidly in conjunction with her aid to Sora. Very rarely did Soua come down with a mental illness, not even after severe trauma, for they were bred to handle traumas. Those who did come down with it were often misunderstood, and left to either hash it out on their own or die. They usually ended up becoming recluses, unable to cope with their condition or get help, sinking deeper into their violent, depressed, and isolated worlds. They hunted alone, if they hunted at all, only when they could get passage. Even then they were forced by their conditions, to remain isolated from the other hunters. 

There was no section of medicine dedicated to mental illness. She had researched everything she could on the subject, and once she had a soyara available began to make detailed studies of the Soua mind, and its function. She had found herself embroiled in those studies almost to the exclusion of everything else, for nearly three years. Her instructor did not let her forget her obligation to the hunt, and kept reminding her with a good walloping when she was falling out of practice.

In the process of her studies she became an instructor of sorts for other Soyasas' interested in the subject. She found that funny that a Fausi would be teaching Taura to treat mental patients. She had several successes with lesser cases, and found herself gaining a reputation.

She saw gradual improvement in Sora's condition, though it was often slow and setbacks came often.


	11. Prejudice

Chapter Ten: Prejudice

Chapter Ten: Prejudice

Courtney sighed as she said goodbye to Gui'Yata again. This time she was hunting for her Taura. She was being sent to Toam for her hunt, she was hunting a creature the Soua called lnausto, a monster of a thing, built like a dragon of the medieval times. It had seven legs, and could become invisible at will. She was definitely apprehensive. She was to hunt as many as she could kill, and return alive.

She sat in the drop ship meditating trying to concentrate on her training. Hoping that she could pull this off. She was interrupted by the tone that told her of their two-minute approach warning. She retested her restraints and made ready for the sickening feeling that would signify detachment.

She must have blacked out again during drop, for she awoke when the autonav settled the shuttle to the ground. She unlatched her belts quickly, stretching, and began to double-check her equipment. She tried to make it a slow check, for there was a good six to seven days for her to hunt. But her nerves did other than her brain wanted, fumbling over latches, passing frantically over the seals of her mask. She grabbed the side of the chair trying to stop her hyperactive movements. She took several deep breaths trying to calm her pounding heart. She had done this a million times, she told herself, and this was only one more. Yes, another part of her said, but Gui' had always been there, before.

"Stop it" she said aloud in English.

"Restate query..." the computer belched in Sou, still not programmed for her native language.

"I was not talking to you..." she growled in Sou, "Open the hatch," she finished.

The mecca complied without another sound, and Courtney stepped out into the tempest of the planets winter. She gritted her teeth against the icy wind that immediately chilled her bones. They in the Eesan seemed to insist on putting her into cold weather situations. She growled involuntarily at the thought of the Eesan. They had been conspiring against her since her arrival, never was it so obvious as now. They had insisted on her only using advanced mechanical weapons. No plasma cannon, no smart missiles, no self-destruct. That left her the Raspa, the Disa, her sword and dagger. That would give her no advantage against creatures that roamed in family groups of four or more individuals. After use, with exception of the Disa, she would have to expose herself to danger to retrieve each weapon. She grasped the Raspa tighter, its bitingly cold surface bringing her numbed mind back to the present. She shook her hair back, a reactive response considering her hair was firmly tied at the nape of her neck. She was more trying to control her anxiousness, she then tried to settle into her hunt patterning.

She tried to see through the blowing sleet tinged rain, and even her infrared was fuzzy with the cold interference. Noises were distorted or completely drowned out but the constant patter. She was going to be hard put to identify any sounds at all unless the rain let up.

She tracked all day with no success, and decided to make camp for the night, exhausted and wet to the bone. She could not feel either her hands or her feet. She sat down against a semi-sheltering tree and set up her heating unit, trying to return some sensation to her numb digits. She was more than reluctant to remove her mask to eat, for it told her it was just thirty-five degrees, but her hunger won out and she risked chilled ears.

Sometime during the night she dozed off but she could not recall when. Stiffly she got to her feet, and put her pack back together. With a heavy sigh she trekked further from her landing site, hoping this day would produce something. It was still raining, though it was not half as heavy as the night before. But the chill and the monotony were beginning to take its toll on her, for her senses were not as sharp as they should have been. She had found tracks but they were old and most had been washed away by the rain. But just to do something reasonably constructive she followed them as best she could. After several hours and several dozen miles she had come up empty again, for the trail disappeared totally. She groaned loudly, and slumped to her knees. The sun had come out and it was a little comfort, but not a lot.

She ate another meal, watching a storm gather on the horizon, a dark green cloud. On Earth that would mean it was a moisture-laden thunderstorm, that was quick but drenching. She wondered offhand if that assumption still would apply on this alien soil. She cleaned up and prepared for the worst.

She found her assumption right as she was forced not to move. The downpour was such that she was unable to even see her own feet, and definitely could not feel them. Her computer was barely able to keep a lock on the drop ships position, much less, tell her where she was headed. So she sat miserable and wishing this fool hunt were over with. But if she went back empty handed she would have to remain in training for an indefinite period of time, until the Eesan felt she was again ready. She just knew that would be a very long period, if they had their way. Not only that but Gui'Yata would be ridiculed, and go through the ribbing his comrades were already ready to give him. As miserable as she was she knew she would have to bring at least one trophy home.

Courtney was not aware when the rain finally let up. Her body and her mind were numb. Part of her mind became alert as a noise different from the background reached her. Slowly she focused her eyes, and remained perfectly still, trying to pinpoint the sound. What reached her told her a lot of information, it was large, probably one and a half times her mass. It walked on seven feet sounding a little like a herd in itself, and was probably predatory, for the noises were made by something that made very little noise. But her hearing being enhanced by the mask had picked up the swishing of parting vegetation. And it was coming in her direction, she slowly released her modified raspa from storage and extended it, making ready for a throw. It broke through the bushes just the other side of the small clearing, and froze. The draconian thing sniffed the air as its faceted eyes reflected the sun just peeking through the clouds. It grunted and huffed, unsure what to make of her, Courtney dared not move. It had a short blocky snout, pitch black in color. Its purple needle-like teeth could be seen as it tested the air with a white fleshed tongue. The spines that adorned its cheek rose and fell as the creature decided whether its new acquaintance was friend or foe, the webbing expanding and contracting with their natural elasticity. Its short thick neck and broad withers spoke of great strength, but its rump and hind legs looked just as powerful, speaking perhaps of quick agility as well as power. It was definitely an Inausto. Its hide was scarred attesting to the many battles that it had fought for dominance, it would make a nice first trophy.

Courtney panicked suddenly as the creature disappeared from her sight. She stood tensely hoping it would reappear. Then she berated herself, he was only invisible in normal spectrums of light. "Quos" she whispered and watched her world change to colored shapes, infrared. But the creature was quick, for it was not anywhere in the close vicinity, which is when she picked up on the rustling behind her. She ducked just in time, as the Inausto leapt at her. It skidded to a stop again in the clearing, bellowing a roar that rattled her teeth. She wondered as she regarded the large creature where the rest of the pack was.

The creature rushed her again and she just dodged its claws, but she did manage to slice its hide with the sword that was her mentor's present to her. Unfortunately, it was not a weapon that was best used for that, for her arm was almost ripped out of the socket. The barb had acted as a hook and stuck as the creature went by, ripping its hilt from her hand. She swore at the burning pain that radiated down her arm.

The creature again screamed trying to reach the annoying barbed thing still in his spine. While it was occupied with her sword she took aim with the raspa, the only spot on the creature that would give her a quick kill was an armored spot near the upper portion of its shoulder. It began twisting in small circles still preoccupied with the sword causing it pains. The jarring movement was enough to dislodge the sword and it fell to the earth with a dull thud. With that annoyance gone the creature returned it attention to her, but that was fine. She hurled the raspa with a grunt, and watched satisfied as it hit its mark and carried the Inaustos body several feet into the surrounding bushes. Cautiously she approached the downed creature, leaning down to retrieve the sword.

Raising the sword for a possible Coup DE Gras, she parted the bushes between her and her kill. Its snout had dulled to gray, well then it was dead. She stepped over the bulky creature attempting to free the raspa from swollen flesh. The process of freeing the device was noisy and Courtney was unaware of the pack approaching, alerted to a kill by the subvocal call the dying loner had made. The pack saw Courtney as a challenger for the meat they assumed was theirs.

The hiss was Courtney's only warning to imminent attack, she whirled still holding to the raspa with one hand. The pack was a large one, ten individuals, all on the scrawny side from a harsh winter of bad hunting. The pack leader was atop her before she could react or move out of the way. She felt the claw scrape her mask, as the other foreleg pinned her thigh with five inch claws. She screamed as the creature raked its claws through her quad muscle. Not thinking, in a sort of animal rage she lashed out with the sword she had somehow held onto. She caught the beast midway up the neck with a slashing motion. The sharp edge along with the barbed hooks ripped the esophagus loose. And she found herself covered in warm blue blood. The creature opened its mouth in a silent scream, and toppled over on its side, slowly suffocating. Courtney attempted to sit up, but she was hindered by a tangle of branches that were weaved through her hair. In desperation she yanked hard, knowing that the pack would give her little respite. The binding at the nape of her neck broke freeing her hair. She dragged herself a short distance away before getting painfully to her feet. She turned facing the rest of the pack, reaching slowly to the left side of her pack. She eased the Disa out of its storage. She sheathed her sword, unwilling to risk further injury by its use, and in turn pulled the sasa from its sheath at her waist. Leaning on her good leg, she regarded the creatures from between the corridor her hair made with her head at that angle. They were milling about unsure what their next move should be. Most of the creatures backed off, though as she attempted to cull her trophies she was forced into defending herself from several desperate young males. When the message was clear to the rest of the Inausto they backed away heads down in submission, and waited for her to take her fill.

She was as quick taking her trophies as she could in her pain. She packed them in a bag and retreated from the scene, feeling compassion for the starving pack, and watched as the descended on the four corpses she had left to them. She smiled tiredly, glad that she was helping them in return for several of their kins lives.

She tried to stop the shaking in her hands in her attempt to staunch the bleeding from the gouges in her thigh. She felt as if she had put indents in her Sasa as she sewed them shut and spread totant over it. She had found her ear bleeding as well its tip almost totally ripped from the body, from the claw that had scraped against her mask. It must have slipped right into the area and taken its toll on her ear instead of her face. She took it the rest of the way off, sealing the cut with totant also, not really wanting to bother with sewing through her ear to secure it. She raised a hand to the mask, feeling the three parallel gashes in the tough metal. Luckily the lenses were inset or else they might have been damaged also. Her shoulder throbbed with dull pain, and she was pretty sure it was dislocated.

She was barely coherent as she made her way back to the drop ship, following the beeps in her ear that kept her in the right direction. She was still weak from blood loss, and her stomach would not hold any food what so ever down. If she had not tied her trophy bag to her belt and let it drag she probably would have lost it long before she finally reached her entry point.

When she reached the shuttle she was on the point of collapse, and gladly slumped in the one seat.

"Moso," she whispered, "Somsu, tarn dusa... And set up an IV." She had drifted into English and centered her concentration to give the last command in Sou. She had requested time to pick up and something liquid to eat, still sure that she would lose it as soon as she got it down. 

"Ten hours to liftoff, twelve to rendezvous, do you wish some other medical attention."

"No just keep an eye on me, if problems develop stabilize me and then send a message to Quarta, to prepare the soyan."

"Affirmative." She drifted to sleep shortly after swallowing several gulps of soup she had programmed the drop ship for, the only soup she found palatable.

She was waken from her exhausted slumber when the drop-ship chimed lift off. She felt slightly better, and managed to down the rest of the cold soup. The two hours that she was left to wait she cleaned her wounds again and cleaned her trophies. Toward the twelfth hour she became hungry for something a little more solid and ate some xaca that was still left.

The hours after the pick up were slow and Courtney drifted back to sleep. They arrived back at Donona landing field some twenty hours later, all of which Courtney had slept through. And she woke to the ping that signaled docking, stiff, tired and barely able to move.

She moved slowly down the ladder to the main vessel and out the hatch. The High Eesan was there waiting solemnly for the warriors to present themselves. For the first time she realized there were only two others that had returned from the hunt. She looked at the survivors hard Noma was missing. She said a silent prayer for the hunter, hoping that he had died painlessly.

She in her turn set her trophies at the Eesans feet and knelt awaiting judgement. She was not privy to the surprised looks that the Eesa's gave each other.

"Rise, Raha." The Speaker said in monotone, and she did as she was told, "You have honored your line again, Raha." He said in anything but the formal ritual usually accomplished. He turned her arm over and carved the Taura tattoo on the inside of her right arm, then he did speak the formal acceptance, "You are now one of the worthy, a Taura. With it comes the responsibility to pass on your cunning so those you teach shall honor you."

She nodded silently, and he dismissed her with a look. She gathered her trophies, and retreated from the intimidating presence of the High Eesan. She was not relishing the thought of having to saddle a yimhi for the trip home, but she made her way to the dome where the creatures were kept. She was concentrating on her own feet, trying to put one in front of the other. When she reached the door and it slid away she ran into someone. She stumbled backward, trying to recover her balance. She lifted her heavy head to apologize to the Soua who stood before her.

"I..." her apology stuck in her throat.

"Raha, time to go home..." Gui'Yata said in a whisper, as she smiled, slumping into his arms. Gently he lifted her limp form and mounted the Yimhi he had rode to the field on. He made sure to keep track of her trophy bag. He secured her in the saddle and headed back for the city.

Courtney woke several hours later in the familiar dwelling that belonged to her mentor and friend.

Courtney was restless, she pushed back the light covers of her sleeping pad and quietly got up. She and Gui'Yata shared the same quarters, a sparse but roomy growth close to the main bulk of the city. It was not decorative like Sora's, but he had his own share of collectibles. There were foreign plants, in terrarium bubbles here and there along the circular walls, bizarre things seeming twisted and misshapen, yet having their own beauty. One contained a tangle of gray and black thorns, devoid of leaves. Inside the cage of thorns, like a princess in a dungeon was a beautiful electric blue flower, reminding her of an orchid. It was his second speciality, botany, and in conjunction with that had come the study of planetary atmospheres. Each Soua was chosen in another specialty so that they could be of more use to a hunting party than just a hunter would. This did not always make the party even however, there were times when a party would be lopsided in one specialty and be devoid of another altogether. As a botanist he had been required to learn the flora of all of their regularly visited worlds, keeping track of what was dangerous, and what was benign.

He was also one of the best at atmosphere analyses, knowing what worlds on which they could and could not breath unassisted. He had transplanted these specimens to study both the plant and its native atmosphere. An odd combination to say the least, she had laughed uncontrollably when she had found out, it seemed silly for a warrior of his status to be collecting flowers, it was a sort of anti-climax. He had been quite offended, saying that it was a serious occupation.

She looked back to her soundly sleeping roommate, and sighed. Something nagged at the back of her mind, something that would not let her sleep. Lately she had not been comfortable, feeling as she did when she first arrived on this planet. She found that she had learned the language too well. Those around her were respectful enough to her face with their words, but their bodies told another story. The tension she had been feeling had been steadily increasing. Something was being planned and it centered on her, and possibly Gui'Yata as well.

People fell silent as the two of them moved through the city, changing to heated whispers after they had passed. She had not heard any rumors, but that proved nothing. Still she was not sure whether it was just her strange presence or some thing more serious, so she had kept her fears from Gui'Yata.

She woke up the next morning against the wall, and groggily stood up. Gui'Yata was already up, probably exercising. She stood in the doorway watching him, as he stretched and pretended to engage in combat. She took in his details, watching as his muscles played under his skin. Women on Earth, if Gui' were human, would consider him stocky, even for someone seven foot tall. His short stature, (comparative to the rest of the Soua she had seen), had been counterbalanced by a heavier musculature. His strength was above average though it did not hinder his balance, which was exceptional. He demonstrated this with several tumbling leaps, not at all effected by his build. She considered him relatively handsome for his race, though they considered him overly short. Of course she was just slightly biased.

She smiled slyly as a wild hair took over, she ran full bore at him, then leapt over him, landing easily on her feet in front of him and kicked him in the stomach. The move unbalanced him and he landed with a grunt on his butt. He lay there momentarily bewildered.

"You're getting slow in your old age, Yaner." she smirked in English.

"I thought you were asleep, Courtney." He said, also in English, rolling up on one elbow. "Were you comfortable against the wall?" he said sarcastically.

"I was restless last night, guess I fell asleep there." She replied, stepping around next to him, "Are you getting up or are you just going to lie there, like a tired vanya?" it was a challenge and Gui'Yata took it. He wrapped a hand around her ankle and pulled it out from under her. He rolled onto his feet still holding the ankle, and she was forced to roll over onto her stomach. He picked her up and threw her over a shoulder. She was pleading him to put her down, laughing, at the same time she was beating and kicking. He was laughing with her Soua style, but stopped when her playful struggle ceased. He turned at the same time he let Courtney slide to her feet.

On the landing of his dwelling stood a Soua who was a stranger to both of them. His head was cocked to one side watching their antics silently, dispassionately. There was a diadem on his head and there was a strange scar on his upper arm, like a mark of rank. When they had stopped he approached them.

"I am here to escort you and the Yanahara to the Doana. The High Eesan wishes to speak with you." He reported in the most formal Sou she had ever heard, "You will come."

He mounted a well-decorated yimhi and then looked back at them expectantly. Gui'Yata pushed her ahead of him decidedly anxious, "Go, we can not keep the Huada waiting." He whispered.

An official messenger then, of the High Eesan, this must be important. They were given the authority to kill whoever took it to disobey a direct summons from the council. She walked next to Gui'Yata wondering what this could be about. 

The Huada followed behind them up to the entrance, and stopped. They were to proceed the rest of the way on their own. They stepped up to the doors, which opened noiselessly, and they stepped through without pausing.

The hall was occupied by hundreds of Soua, to Courtney's surprise, and she again asked herself what this could be about. She wanted to ask Gui' if he might know, but the attention of the crowd kept her silent.

She had little time to admire the hall. It was the mother growth, the largest in the city and it had been paid accurate homage. It was extravagant compared to the rest of the city and the dwellings. It was decorated eloquently, all in dark crimson colors, almost the color of human blood, from the flows of cloth, captured tapestries, even what looked like Earthen velvet. Foreign plants and branches of the tree had been carefully tended to add to the atmosphere. The ceiling was completely lined with the skulls of various creatures, silent witness to all that took place in the hall and bone chimes rang dully from the overhangs. Lining the walls were full skeletons of more creatures, including a Taura. The treasured skeleton was positioned behind the High Eesan, the split fingers of the beast on both hands. The Soua who had hunted that one must be highly regarded, Courtney thought, it was a rarity for the Taura two have two split-fingered hands, and they were the fiercest of their kind.

The High Eesan were seated in thorn-like chairs, and those chairs were positioned several feet above the floor, so that the whole of the hall could be seen. Their ages ranged from 150-500 years old, and they sat straight, their eyes showing none of the dullness usually associated with age. Courtney fully believed that any of them could hunt with even the youngest Taura and hold their own.

In the center of the room had been positioned the strangest dais she had ever seen. The top was smooth and flat, oblong shaped with a narrow hole carved out of the center. From the top the dais tapered to a point that did not touch the floor. She wondered how in the world it was suspended. She wanted to know but was too scared to approach it. Her attentions' focus was changed when they were addressed.

"Sai, Raha, you have become very close since your meeting on Earth several years ago. Raha has become an accepted hunter, proving her worth, though she is not one of us. All due to your excellent instruction, Sai." Gui'Yata nodded a thank you, there was more to this he could tell, "You both have been changed by your experience with each other, and we could not think of separating such a formidable team. It is the wish of this council, that you seal your dedication to one another with the Bond." Gui'Yata started to speak, but the old grizzled Soua waved him to silence, "But...as it is our way to allow a Taura to choose his own mate for the Bonding. We leave the decision to you. Do you wish to accept the responsibilities and the honor of a Bondsman, and do you wish it to be Raha?"

Gui'Yata drew in a sharp breath, he enjoyed Courtney's friendship, and enjoyed hunting with her, but to be bonded? They were not compatible species, and it would place undue restriction on him at his young age. He first impulse was to refuse, knowing Courtney would understand, and he would have; but there was an underlying tone, that hinted at the consequences of refusal. He looked over at Courtney, who was clearly confused, for she had heard the underlying warning as well.

"It would be an honor, Speaker." He said, inclining his head.

"And you Raha? Do you accept this union?"

"I accept." she said hesitantly.

The Speaker nodded and motioned. Two shrouded Soua she had not seen before approached. Their ornamental masks glared wickedly at them, their high points making a good semblance of horns. From under their capes flashed pale arms, devoid of all markings, pinkish white of an albino. Their kind were rare, those that survived their childhood were specially chosen as the High Eesans royal guard. They were especially vicious, cold creatures, reacting quickly, thoughtlessly, to threats to the Eesa's seated in this hall, killing without mercy. She noticed, the exceptionally long and sharp looking nails as she and Gui'Yata were moved to either side of the strange altar. She watched as Gui'Yata's arm was positioned on the alter palm up, then her arm was lay over his, palm down. They were then bound together by a silk-like strip of material. She looked up to see Gui'Yata looking meaningfully at her, she began to get scared, seeing what was in his eyes.

"Be strong, Raha.." he whispered, "There will be pain." Her eyes went wide then, darting from him to the table to the ornate Soua that had just produced a dagger. It was wide and flat blade, extremely thin, looking as if it would break at the slightest impact.

She almost panicked as the Soua raised the blade over his head. She forgot Soua protocol, in her primal instinct to flee from the pain she knew was coming. She watched the knife arch down and her world went black with the pain. To her credit she did not scream or faint, though she desperately wanted to. She was unaware of the fact the she had dug five holes in Gui'Yatas tough skin, and even less aware when the knife was drawn free of her arm. The two attendants approached again, the one attending her roughly turning her arm over to expose the inside. They were tattooed simultaneously with the marks that would identify them as Bondsman until their dying days. Courtney was not aware of the pain, but watched distantly as the marks were wrapped in an absorbent material.

She staggered as Gui'Yata drew her carefully away from the alter, she stood straight trying to hide her weakness, "Time to go." he said. She followed him closely, intent on his feet, not trusting to look at anything else lest she fall. By the time they had passed through the door she had recovered enough to be more confident in her step. Gui'Yata continued to walk next to her, watching her closely as she walked, she would be ok now, he thought.

He stopped as he heard his name, and watched as Eesa Oana made his way through the crowd toward them. Courtney had also stopped, she felt a chill as he looked at her disdainfully. The Eesa stopped in front of Gui'Yata looking at him meaningfully.

Gui'Yata turned to Courtney, "Go ahead, I will be there." he said in English.

She left without argument, knowing she was unwelcome by this new visitor. But her eyes stayed on him, in an attempt to aggravate him, and it succeeded. Gui'Yata turned back toward him.

"May I be of some service High Eesa Oana?" he offered, Oana was probably the ugliest Soua to walk Soona. Oana was short, even shorter than Gui'Yata, which was unusual and his bones were heavyset. It gave him the look of a Gorilla his large muscular arms were ill concealed under the robe he wore. His face was a kickback from their descendants, his snout was long and only his lower mandibles were independent the other two were still attached to his upper jaw. Gui'Yata had never been sure why or how Oana had lived to find position on the High Eesan. He had only been an average hunter...with an extremely good run of luck, he supposed. He could feel his features twist with disgust at the High Eesa, and quickly smoothed it out trying to be intent on what he said.

"Your bondsman looks ill, is she alright?" Oana did not even try to hide his contempt for the human, he was just making conversation.

"Yes she will be alright, she has not had to many shocks like that one. Considering she did not know what to expect, she reacted rather admirably. The High Eesan does us honor."

"Frail these humans are." he said, ignoring Gui'Yata's praise of the union, "It surprises me she has not killed herself."

"She is a good hunter, a quick learner. She surprises even me sometimes. She does well even in what we would consider cold weather." Gui'Yata replied to the insult, hiding his rising anger at the Eesa's provocation, "She has been an indispensable help on the hunt, and is a very humorous companion. She could raise even hooba's spirits." He was trying to get the Eesa to get to the real point of this conversation.

"You are blind to the truth, Gui'Yata." He used his familiar name as an insult, "She is a dangerous, but predictable clusu. She has learned a few tricks, mimicked a few of our words and you think her one of us," He obviously had not consulted any of the Soua who had come to know Courtney, for the things he thought to be fact, were anything but, "You and she were bonded as punishment. You have disgraced your line and us by bringing her here and teaching her our ways. You are laughing stock, though you do not seem to notice. A fact that makes you all the more pitiful. And you are Bonded to her Sai, so that your judgmental weakness does not have a chance to propagate. 

"Your Quona was a fool to ever allow you to become Taura, all because of his foolish love for his favorite grandchild!" Gui'Yata stared at the High Eesa in confusion, the Soua did not even try to cover his statement. The Quona was his Grandfather? Had his Ascension come to him unfairly, is that why he was not killed when Courtney was brought on board? This was becoming too complicated. He put the thought out of his mind momentarily, trying to deal with the here and now.

"I earned my status, Eesa," Gui'Yata said evenly, seemingly unmoved by the Eesas insult, though the words sounded hollow to him, "And I am honored to be Raha's bondsman, no matter the circumstances, for I know more than you her worth." He finished calmly, almost coldly, conveying none of the anger he was feeling.

The same could not be said for the High Eesa, his rage clearly showed through his poise. He had hoped this conversation would anger Gui'Yata, injure him, but his calm response to the accusations and insults was more than Oana could bear. Gui'Yata wondered at the real purpose behind this verbal attack.

"I hope I live to see you rot in the grave before your seed is passed to the next generation, Sai." The High Eesa sputtered, spinning on his heels and heading back for the Doana. When he was out of sight, Gui'Yatas calm, brave mask crumbled, revealing his frustration, confusion and anger. He had been feeling badly about this arrangement already. The conversation he had just heard had brought his spirit lower than he thought he would ever feel.

By the time Gui'Yata had reached his dwelling he was weary, and his depression had sunken in. His life was going the wrong direction. And it was all because of one seemingly minor decision, to save the life of a Yanahara. A clusu he had only encountered twice his whole hunt, but had a decided impact on his life, and revealed a little known fact about the human race. Something that had either never been observed, which he doubted or had been carefully suppressed, which right now he felt was very possible. He felt he should be blaming this all on Courtney, found himself mad at her. Then the anger would be at himself for trying to blame her, for it was not her fault either. When he reached the door he was just angry, at everything.

He leaned on the doorframe, sighing, feeling only slightly better to be home. Courtney looked up from her study board, and smiled at him. That smile faded when she saw how he looked. She pushed herself up and walked over to him.

"Are you alright?"

"No" he replied hotly, pushing past her, and plopping angrily on his sleeping roll. Courtney slowly moved to his side and sat down. He turned away from her, snatching up a thong and bundling his hair together at the nape.

She got up quickly, flaring at his attitude, "Fine you sit there and sulk then. When you feel like talking I'll be at Sora's." She stormed out of the dwelling and retrieving her personal Yimhi, left for the outskirts.

Several hours later she returned, no longer angry but puzzled by Gui'Yatas behavior. She had cut Sora's session short, because her thoughts were on her bondsman. She jumped down from her mount, steadying herself against it's bulk as her world seemed to spin. She shook it off, and the vertigo passed quickly. She approached the dwelling and stepped inside. Gui'Yata was still seated on his sleeping roll, staring into empty space, he had not even finished tying up his hair. She crossed the space to her side of the dwelling and slowly sat down across from him. She studied his face, wondering what he was thinking about. He became slowly aware of her, he raised his head and looked directly at her.

"I began to think you had left for good." he whispered.

"I've never liked being treated that way, Gui'." she said emphasizing it with a shake of her head, "Are you going to tell me what happened? This has to do with the ceremony, our 'bonding', right?" he nodded, "'but you are to choose your own mate...' what a crock, there was something more to it than that. That is why that pug-ugly wanted to talk to you right?"

"Yes, Eesa Oana wanted to clarify why we had been bonded. It seems they are punishing me, for bringing you here. They do not like the idea of my 'pet' being treated as a Soua." he was sure to omit what Oana had said about Quona, which was something he did not want her to know. Something he was going to have to investigate on his own.

"But that is their opinion, Gui', it doesn't have to be you know..." she tried to make him see the other side.

"I want it not to be, Courtney," he reached over and touched her cheek, "I very much enjoy your friendship, if you were a Soua I would be extremely happy to have been bonded. But you are human, we are incompatible, therefore the bond is very much a punishment, a sentence. You see a Soua has not been forced to bond in nearly two hundred years, since the last plague. Since it was required to strengthen the bloodlines. That it how long it has been since matings was strictly arranged. Before we were allowed to mate freely when accepted by a female. We normally take several different ones over the course of our lives, and only bond if we feel the time is right," He turned his eyes down, knowing how much that must have stung her, "I have been told all my life that I am extremely talented, that I have the potential to be more than Taura. In another few years I could even be chosen by a female to mate, because my offspring would possibly have the same potential. That has just been taken away, all of it. I can not be known by any other now, this is a lifetime commitment. That is our law." He sighed heavily, running his hand along the still bandaged arm. With a growl he yanked it off and threw it across the dwelling. He looked back at her sighing, "This city and my people have soured for me. I am not really one of them any more, the traditions I have always respected I am now questioning. The council was right on that point, we have both changed for knowing each other." he looked her dead in the eyes now, "I wish to leave this place, even if it means going into the forest and dying."

She looked at him with open surprise, she had never heard him like this. This whole situation must have hurt him deeper than she would know.

"Do you know what you are saying?" he knew exactly what he was talking about, she saw from the look in his eyes, "But where would you go?" she asked then.

"There are many miles of forest that are isolated, that no Soua has ever set foot in. I have seen aerials of several sections that would be perfect for a small settlement. I could live there."

"We," Courtney corrected, "Don't you think your going to play martyr without me, Gui'. If you are serious about leaving I will go with you. For I speak the truth when I say that my status does not mean much to these people. Without you here I might just as well take my life, for it will be taken one way or the other." she paused a moment, and her tone changed to one of amusement, "Besides you wouldn't want to leave your favorite pet behind, now would you?"

He smiled warmly at her in spite of his mood, "You are crazy, to follow this Sai into the unknown." he said.

She shrugged mischievously, "I've followed you this far and lived, I think we can do it. Have some faith in us!" she pushed at him with a fist.

The next few weeks were spent gathering the things that they were going to need, and packing the few belongings that they had. There were a few goodbyes to be said, though they were kept to a minimum, for their leaving was to be done in secret. Courtney had left for Sora's, and that left Gui'Yata time to do what he felt was necessary.

He approached the Quonas dwelling silently, now unsure of his anger. He had come to confront Quona about what Eesa Oana had said. He was now apprehensive, not sure that he wanted to know. He stopped shy of the doorway, tempted to abort his quest and go home.

"Gui'Yata?" came the question, "Why are you here?" The elder Soua appeared in the doorway.

He straightened up quickly, his resolve had just been set by circumstance, "I seek confirmation on news that has disturbed me." he said formally, entering the Quona's dwelling.

"Confirmation about?"

Now he was unsure how to put the question so as not to offend the old Soua, "Forgive how this sounds Quona, but High Eesa Oana has accused you of playing favorites with me, and possibly with Koratan. He says..." he looked directly at the Elder, "that you are my Grandfather."

"Oana has a big mouth." Quona said turning away, Gui'Yata's heart sank, that was not what he wanted to hear, "Yes it is true, that I am a relative of yours." he raised a hand to stop the statement that about poured out of Gui'Yata's mouth, "I understand what you are thinking about the implications, you are afraid that has given you an, unknown advantage. But you have earned your status, Gui'Yata, make no mistake about that."

Gui'Yata started to protest again, he was silenced, "All decisions are up to the council, just because I am its voice does not mean I alone make the decisions."

The words made sense to Gui'Yata, but finding his anger misplaced Gui'Yata was confused, "Raha and I are leaving the city, Quona." he blurted, unsure why.

He turned to look at the youth, "Leaving? Have they treated you that badly?" So Quona had noticed, Gui'Yata gave an imperceptible nod.

"They punished me by bonding me with Raha."

"I know. But it seems a trivial reason... to just leave your life and status."

Gui'Yata shook his head, "This is only one of a list of things those in this city have done to make our lives harder. Nothing that can be proven, but existing just the same. They have overlooked Raha for three rotations in assigning students. She is as good as most Taura in Onona. For my part, half heard conversations, speculating on the intimacy of our relationship. I have heard them say we are active mates. I have tried to ignore them but the notion seems to be gaining its own life. Now that we are bonded that thought will flare into popular rumor. I thought I understood the implications of bringing Raha aboard Quarta so many rotations ago, I was wrong. The pressure has finally become too much. I must go."

"You plan not to honor the Bond then?"

"She and I cannot mate, she likes the arrangement as little as I do. She does not wish me to be bound to just one, when she and I have so many differences. That is the only part we cannot abide, the rest we are willing to honor. I have enjoyed her friendship, that has not changed, but to have my choice taken away for the Eesans prejudice..." He shook his head.

The Quona nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, "I wish you good hunting then Sai, perhaps we will hunt together someday."

He stood straighter as unexpected pride filled him, "I hope so Grandfather." He turned slowly from the Old Soua and walked back to his yimhi.

On the other side of the city Courtney had just reached Sora's dwelling and swung quickly down from her mount. She wanted to make this as quick as possible, she had grown to like Sora very much despite his fits. It hurt a little to have to leave him here without help.

"Sora," she said, just reaching the door. She entered without waiting for an invitation.

"You were not to come until tommorrow...but welcome." He said stepping up to her. He looked so much better than when she had first known him. He was no longer sullen and withdrawn. He had started to go into the city as if he belonged there, without the mask, without sulking in the shadows. He was much more confident now, finally coming to terms with his injury. There had been a few times that she had seen him conversing with other Soua. And it made her feel good, that she had been a part of his recovery.

She smiled nervously, "I've come to say goodbye, Sora."

His confusion was clear, "You are leaving? Why?"

"Because of treatment similar to those your illness sprang from, the High Eesan has marked us as Taysa Taru. We do not wish to live under the kind of restrictions they plan. We are leaving for the deep forest at Dorsa Chai tomorrow."

"The deep forest is dangerous, Raha. Even for fighters such as you and Sai, it could be deadly." he paused, "Let me come, Raha. There is nothing here for me, what better way to complete my recovery than starting over someplace else?" he tried to convince her.

She smiled warmly now, "I would be honored to have you in my party. But are you sure? It will be a hard journey."

"I am sure."

The two bondsmen left the city without looking back, Gui'Yata in the front, for he knew where they were headed. Courtney trailed in behind keeping a sharp lookout for native wildlife, most of which was deadly.

Gui'Yata stopped abruptly, and Courtney pulled up alongside, wondering why. Standing beyond the South gateway, a natural gate that had formed from two saplings growing together, was two yimhi. Sora was seated on one and the other was packed with his possessions. He was quite rich, for a social recluse, and had refused to leave his collection behind. Courtney could not blame him, most of it was irreplaceable.

"Gui', Sora has asked to accompany us on our journey." she said feeling a little guilty for not informing Gui'Yata ahead of time about the addition.

Gui'Yata nodded at him, "You are free to join us, I have no say to stop you." His words were bitter, condescending in Courtney's ears, "I am impressed by your progress, Sora. I am glad that you have finally found some balance." With that he moved past Sora. Courtney glared at the back of Gui'Yata's head, unhappy with his backhanded compliment. She searched Sora's face apologetically, and urged her yimhi faster until she was alongside Gui's.

"That was uncalled for, Gui'!" she whispered hotly in English, even though she knew that Sora did not know the language. She was really angry with him.

"I have warned you before that he is crazy, Courtney." He replied in just as scalding a tone, "He has attempted to hurt you, more than once. It scares me that he can snap as easily as a twig." She was at once flattered by his concern for her, and angry at his lack of faith in Sora. At allowing him to use so readily his peoples bias, the same bias as that he was running from, as well as his own hatred.

"He is not crazy!" she said in his defense, "Your people, even you have treated him with less honor than a clusu! How the hell did you expect him to react? With 'stiff upper lip' silence? I do not even think you could manage that kind of burden." The comment was met with silence, and with a huff she let her yimhi slacken pace until she fell back next to Sora.

"I am sorry." she said, "I did not know he would be like this."

"I do not expect his attitude nor any one else's to change overnight, Raha. There is no need to apologize. Besides it is good to be away from the city, I had forgotten what it was like." He said louder, "I will have to thank your consort for his hospitality."

Gui'Yata whirled in his seat, and Sora flipped him a casual salute. Gui'Yata faced quickly the other way, and Courtney could not help laughing at sarcasm in Sora's comment.

They spent the next few hours in strained silence, not daring to say anything lest another contest of words start.

They stopped in mid afternoon for a meal, and a small nap, before heading on their way again. Courtney had a hard time getting up, feeling stiff and slightly sick to the stomach. She kept hoping that it was just her prolonged ride, or perhaps the humid heat of the surface. She quickly swallowed some vitamins before mounting her beast again.

Several times they broke out of the forest onto marshes, frightening the creatures that had come up from the depths to sunbathe, just visible from under the boiling surface. The terrain looked about as uncomfortable as she was beginning to feel. Deep sinks divided the marsh areas, the only shade provided was a few sickly looking trees that had taken root on knolls only slightly higher than the bog. They kept to the relative solidity of the knolls, but had slid into the water several times and ended up swimming. The only consolation about it was the fact that the water was cool and soothing in the midnight sun, though only because it was shaded. Now she knew why Soua stayed in the trees during the summer.

The next few days came and went with little incident. Courtney felt no better, in fact she was feeling worse with each passing day. Though she had begun to take some antibiotics they were doing little good. She had been trying to hide it from her two companions, wanting neither of them to worry for her, or become a reason for their arguments. Arguments that had become more intense, and were edging close to violence. It was just about midday, when they stopped again. They were in the middle of their meal when they heard in the distance splashing, and the bay of overheated yimhi. The three of them stood, facing the direction of the possible threat.

Out of the heat shimmer two blurry images emerged, slowly proving to be two mounted yimhi. The creatures came to a stop in front of the party, dripping steaming water as the yimhi moaned loudly.

Courtney recognized the one Soua, but her fogged mind did not quite tell her who it was.

"Nobaya." Gui'Yata said, in blunt greeting. Nobaya? Courtney had not seen him in over three rotations.

"Raha, Gui'Yata..." he said and then turned to the third Soua in their party, "Sora, it does not surprise me to see you among this group."

"Are you here to bring us back to the city then?" Gui'Yata asked, unconsciously slipping into a defensive position, similar to the ones the rest of the party were in already. None of them wished to return to the city, to go back meant death. Their society did not like runaway's, a group could strike out on their own, with permission from the high council only. Then they were bound to honor the cityh code, a law passed after centuries of warring between factions. Posse's had often been seen striking out into the forest to track down 'defectors', they rarely came back empty handed. Nobaya, he knew, was qualified for such a posse, being a tracker.

Nobaya laughed, "No, not to bring you in, to join your party." he pointed to the Soua who was silent beside him, "This is Fausi Endra." She nodded respect to the Taura on the ground, she was young, maybe ten. She was also shorter than Gui'Yata, and very thin, as if she had been a sickly youth. Her color was pale bordering on white, marked with scarlet spots, her head was rather different compared to most Soua, rounded more like a humans head, and her hair was smoke gray rather than black.

"She wishes to join in the adventure this journey proposes. She has been denied Taurana hunt, though her training is excellent. They have stated that her training has consumed too many rotations. She is one of my newest students."

"You are welcome to join us, if you are prepared to throw away your status, and join the Taysa Taru." Gui'Yata said as welcome and warning. Nobaya nodded his thanks.

"How did you know we had left?" Courtney asked huskily, fighting off another dizzy spell, drawing concerned attention from Gui'Yata.

"I watched you leave." Nobaya replied simply, "I was not going to come, but Endra's fervor is contagious. You were not hard to track. I am sure that others witnessed your leaving, they may send the posse you were expecting, Sai."

Courtney did not hear the last of his explanation, as she lost her battle with her illness and collapsed on the ground.

Nobaya and Endra had quickly dismounted, Gui'Yata was already by Courtney's side, trying to revive her. He touched her arm, and it came away sticky. The fluid smelled of infection, and a bad one. He growled fearfully.

Endra finally spoke, "She is more frail than I have been told. It is no wonder she was never given students." Her high voice was full of better-than-thou tones. Gui'Yata glared at her, but Nobaya had already acted, backhanding her hard. She hit the ground, rubbing her stinging cheek and glaring at her teacher.

"You will never speak of Raha in that manner again! She is Taura, and she is a better fighter than you will ever be!" He said aggressively. Gui'Yata silently thanked Nobaya for his verbal support, but only hoped that Endra was not right this time.

He broke out Courtney's kit, knowing from his years of living with her that he was not to use his medicine on her. Because they had hunted so much together, Courtney had insisted that he learn her kit in case she was unable to show him how. She had spent hours explaining the differences between kits, and why they were that way. He was no Soyasa but the knowledge of her kit might save her life now, at least he hoped it would. He noticed immediately that it was already low on her antibiotic, "She knew." he muttered, now even more fearful. Why had she not told him? His quickly cut the bandage off of her arm. It was the Bond arm, and the wound had not healed, though by now it should have. He could only assume that something had infected it during the ceremony. He had never thought of it before, but she could even be allergic to Soua blood. He treated it quickly, knowing her kit as well as his own, and wrapped it.

He then stood, and turned to Endra, "She will not be able to ride, we need a travois. You will get the kit I need, out of my yimhi's leg pack." She nodded being smart enough not to voice how she felt about keeping a dying member with the party.

A Soua travois is much different than one we know. It is made to fit over the saddle much like a pack frame, so that the weight is carried on the yimhi's side. It was constructed to allow monitoring of the patient, and protect from the elements, and was designed to float when the group would be required to swim. To counterweight the litter they moved the packs to the opposite side of the mount.

While Gui'Yata waited for Endra to return he stripped Courtney of her armor and weapons, setting them to one side. She moaned a little, as her untended fever raged. Gui'Yata had a feeling she was going to take a long time to heal, even with their extremely effective medicine. What was taking that Fausi so damned long, he stood abruptly, and moved angrily to where the young female was trying to get the pack out the saddlebag. He pushed her aside roughly, grabbing her chest plate as she fell away, wanting to say something instead and spinning her around to face him.

"I do not care how highly Nobaya thinks of your ability, Fausi. You will not ever make a comment such as the one you just made, because I will kill you. That human means more to me than anyone in this party. And you will learn to pull your weight, or we will leave you in the wilderness to fend for yourself." he shoved her as he let her go, pulled the travois kit and stormed back to Courtney's side.

She glared after the husky Soua, plopping down on the ground, grumbling to herself.

Gui'Yata had the travois together quickly and gave Courtney an antibiotic before setting her into it. With graceful strength he placed the travois onto the saddle of the yimhi she had, only moments before, been riding. He gathered up the yimhi's lead and mounted quickly, tying the lead to his own saddle. He left without looking back, not caring whether the rest followed him or turned back. 

His thoughts were in turmoil, this journey had not gone as easily as he expected. They had not even gotten one quarter of the way to the intended destination. He felt alone, isolated, surrounded by caring but ignorant faces. None of whom he cared to be with. It crossed his mind to turn back, to make himself into a hoyo, and beg the High Eesan mercy for the sake of his bonded companion. But even in his current state he understood that to turn back would mean their deaths. He closed his eyes fighting off the Soua equivalent of a headache, glad that he was far enough ahead that the rest of the party could not see his confusion. He was unsure how he had come to be so close to Courtney, he told himself that it did not matter. He had lived with her, eaten with her, hunted with her, they knew each other better than any other Soua could know either one. To see her helpless knotted his gut with worry.

He pushed the group hard that day trying to burn off his depression. When he finally stopped Soua and Yimhi alike were exhausted. As the rest of the group settled for a much needed rest, Gui'Yata moved a little away from the rest. Dismounting he signaled the smaller yimhi to settle and then checked his patient.

She was feverish, thrashing in the litter, acting out her dream delirium. Her skin was clammy, and he put a blanket over her even though the temperature was a steady one hundred twenty degrees. He slid into the shade the kneeling yimhi provided, a protective hand across the litter.

Sora sat across from the place Gui'Yata had chosen staring at him, watching him fight to keep awake. He stood and crossed to where Gui'Yata sat. Gui'Yata growled at him the way a helpless animal would, as a last resort.

"Sai, please let me watch her for a while, you need to rest."

"I do not want your help." He growled.

"Sai, she is nuya to me too," a friend, "You need to rest, or you will collapse before the day is out."

He started to protest again, but acquiesced, and moved to break his sleeping pad out of his pack. It was not long before the exhausted Soua was sleeping soundly.

When Sora was sure that Gui'Yata slept he gently lifted the netting that kept the insects away, to look at her. He touched her forehead lightly, pulling it back when he found it hotter than was comfortable. She would probably be sick for the next few days. He looked at her a long time.

She was beautiful, he thought, her features were neatly chiseled, like a piece of art. He traced the scar on her left cheek with a gentle fingertip. She had told him the events that had given her those and the scar that ran down the back of her arm. The scars, he thought added to and not detracted from her stern good looks. He sometimes wondered whether her skill as a Soyasa, or her beauty had brought him back from the brink of madness. He had originally sought her out because she was a human Soyasa, and therefore might see his problem from a different view than his own people. But he was soon taken in, as someone who collects art, by her overwhelming beauty. He had thanked her many times for her gift to him of his sanity, though never in words. Every time he had tried she had stopped him, seeming to understand without the words being said.

Her face was a balance of delicacy and power, something he did not see very often. Most of his people were harsh, crude, but he suspected that was because his view of his people was tainted. He had never had the pleasure of hunting humans, and he wondered if they were all endowed with this kind of undying strength of character.

The next day Gui'Yata broke camp early, and headed out into another patch of thickly intertwined forest. He was in mental anguish for those next few days, intensely worried about his alien friend. His naps were always short, and never restful, he always felt as if he had cheated for resting when she was sick. Courtney's condition had not improved any since the day of her collapse, but gratefully got no worse.

He had come to appreciate Sora's willingness to help watch over her. He had never realized how much stress he put himself through until he was given a chance to rest. He still did not trust Sora, to Gui'Yata he was still psychotic. But he had begun to respect him, and what he had been put through.

Nobaya had also taken his turn at watching over their charge. Gui'Yata had realized that those gathered in this group were all the close friends that Courtney had ever had on Soona...with one exception. Endra refused to have any part of caring for the human, which did not bother Gui'Yata in the slightest. She must have been insufferable in the creche, and he often wondered how Nobaya could stand to try and train her. She was whiny, lazy, and conceited, only concerned with herself. Never her companions or her pack.

Gui'Yata returned his attention to the swaying travois, at the smaller yimhi's side. He again debated about stopping, and checking her health again. He had heard unhappy grumbling from the other members of the party. They were unsatisfied with stopping, and even less so with traveling through the cloying heat and blinding rain. But it was considerably cooler than between storms when the heat rose to upwards of 240 degrees.

He finally set his mind on stopping and called the halt. The cloud overhead had begun to break up, and he moved his mount to the deep shade of the forest. He dismounted, looking up as the others gathered around him.

"We are stopping again? Will you not just let it die?" Endra said incredulously. Sora looked hard at her as he dismounted his yimhi. Nobaya looked to the sky, watching the clouds dissipate, understanding part of the reason for the break. That froze his own protest in his throat.

"You were warned about speaking that way, Fausi." Sora said, "Besides, have you ever been caught in the sun at this time of year?"

She shook her head negatively, and he continued, as he threw a piece of trail meat into the rays of the twin suns. "190 degrees, enough to cook a habade." he commented, nodding toward the piece of meat. The meat writhed as if it had gained life, cooking quickly, turning brown and then black. "There will be no more questions from you." It was a statement not a request.

"Remember, you volunteered to come, there was no coercion," Gui'Yata said in a tone that was both quiet and powerful, "If you dislike how I lead this party, you may always return to the city," he cocked his head, "And take your chances."

There was no mistaking the tone in his voice, there was no threat but a promise. Endra jumped from her mount and moved into the shade. Feeling angry and defiant she signaled sharply for her mount to settle. The creature did not respond, as if agreeing with the dominant opinion, and the laughter that followed broke the tension.

The others moved off, and the laughter slowly died, Endra in her infamous pout mode, remained rooted next to the tree, refusing to budge.

A distance away the three Taura settled against the bole of a larger tree, still enjoying the amusement of the moment before.

"Why is she like that Nobaya?" Sora asked, sitting with a grunt, as Gui'Yata looked over Courtney.

"From what I gather," he started, "She was sickly as a child, a bad infection I think. Not many thought she would even make it through the first weeks in the creche. She survived, barely, but it set her back severely in her training." He shrugged, "She became the focal point of the other Saru's jokes and the 'punching bag' for their practice fights. She was almost five before they would even allow her to go on a pack ship. For her protection, more than to spite her, but she does not see it that way.

"She has come to think that because of the hardship in her early years that she is owed something, instead of appreciating what she has accomplished.

"She has shown considerable talent," He said in her favor, "But she lacks the usual motivation to advance. She was refused the Taurana, because the Eesan does not feel she is mentally mature enough to become a teacher," He looked at his toes, "I have done all in my power to change her attitude, Now I can only hope she realizes this behavior is self destructive."

"Very," Gui'Yata added as he joined the two of them.

"How is she?" Nobaya asked interrupting the conversation.

"No change," He replied, he motioned at Nobaya, "Do you not ever feel like impaling her, to end both of your misery? I thought only humans were so childish." His own words shocked him, how easily prejudices came back. He knew that there were some very mature humans.

"Oh, I have felt that way, several times." he glanced at the two of them sideways, he smiled slyly, "I figure it is a test of my teaching ability..." He went silent a moment, "Not that it does me any good now."

They would not meet each other's eyes. That was a tender area, for even the best reputation meant nothing as an outcast. Nobaya had voiced their only regret in coming on this trek.

After a moment, Gui'Yata reached over and thumped him on the shoulder, in understanding, "I," he said with emphasis, "Am glad that you have come." he looked at Sora uncomfortably a moment, "And you as well, huntsman. I apologize for my shortsightedness at the start of this journey." His discomfort became more than he could bear, and he rose to leave. Before he left, Sora nodded an unspoken acceptance.

Sora looked after Gui'Yata's retreating form with an incredulous look on his face.

"Why do you look so shocked, Sora?" Nobaya commented.

"That was hard for him to say," he said quietly, "You missed our 'discussions' at the beginning of the journey. I am a rival to him for Raha's attentions, whether he will admit it or not. I was sure that we would end up fighting one another before this journey was completed."

"Ah...but the journey is not yet over!"

"Do not remind me!" he replied laughingly.

Unaware of the conversation about him, Gui'Yata knelt beside the covered travois. He lifted the veil, and looked at her, her fever had finally broke, she was now sleeping restfully. He sighed his relief, stroking her sweat soaked hair. He crooned to her quietly, as a soyasa would a sick child.

They left late in the hours of the day, wanting to be fully rested. They were coming to one of the open spots that did not remain underwater year round, and were forced to wait until the next storm came over, for in the open there was no other protection. To go around would take them weeks, for it was the largest 'plain' on the planet. Luck was with them that day for the storm lasted for most of their trek across the expanse. They hurried as they noticed the clouds starting to break. All in the party breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the protective canopy of a small grove of trees.

They slowed down now that they were relatively safe, dismounting to cool out their mounts. They had not gotten five hundred-yard when the ground below their feet rose and fell. A small eight-point quake, a pre-shock for a planet influenced by two suns. They paused in their travel, as their claws automatically found holds to stabilize them.

Gui'Yatas eyes darted to the smallest Yimhi, where the Travois swung violently against the creatures side, dangerously unbalanced. He dared not move however lest the sink he had heard the echo for collapsed prematurely under his feet. He could only hope that the travois did not fall from the pack.

It was long minutes as they sounded the size and shape of the sink, it gave them a measure of warning. And they had acute enough hearing to pinpoint where the collapse would begin, and could get out of the danger-zone before the hole engulfed them. The yimhi were even trained in this protocol, for they did not move until the all-clear signal was given them. Evidently no one had informed Endra of earthquake protocol, for she shuffled restlessly in place, wanting to move away from the edge of the sweltering sun only a few hundred feet behind them.

"Stay still, Endra" Nobaya snapped, coming momentarily out of sounding. But his warning came too late, for the rift opened beneath Endras feet. She cried out startled and flailed to find a solid hold. The rest of the group scattered as the earth collapsed quickly into the crack below. The yimhi bolted frightened at the change in their usual procedures. Gui'Yata cried out anguished as the already unstable litter was dumped on the ground as the beast ran from the scene. But she was relatively safe and against his wishes he was left to retrieve Endra who was crying desperately for help. The others had run after the frightened mounts in an attempt to round them back up.

Gui'Yata hoped in the back of his mind that the spill had done no more damage to his bondsman, as he leapt across the space between him and the edge of the drop. He landed with his chest on the ledge and managed to get a strained grip on the young Fausi. Overbalancing his legs, and every muscle taught, he strained to pull her back from oblivion.

Courtney rode along the dark corridor of trees. Sounds around her were muted, even the splashing of her yimhi through the hip deep water could barely be heard. The warmer than comfortable water splashed up onto her already scalded legs. But she did not feel the pain. It was deathly silent and the party was nowhere to be found. Where were they?

A rumble suddenly drowned all sound out ten times louder than thunder. Beneath her the ground rolled and shifted, and she suddenly felt weightless as the ground opened up beneath her, the adrenalin rush followed it as she realized she was falling. She was just able to catch the limb that had suddenly appeared across the expanse of the hole. She watched as her yimhi disappeared silently into the abyss below. The same which threatened her. Her grip on the limb was tenuous, for it was slippery with moss.

Looking up she found the hole, which had somehow become smaller ringed by Soua. Though the sun shone above them their faces were clear to her. Most were recognizable as acquaintances, Sora, Nobaya, Endra, Basa, Yalsa, Yaha, she called to them each in turn asking for help getting out. But none of them moved, regarding her with disgust, as if she was some lowly animal. Her pleas became frantic screams as she felt her grip begin to slacken from the strain.

The crowd parted and another figure came into view, Courtney smiled in relief. Calling to her bondsman to help her, reaching for him with her free hand. He had not been looking at her but across the expanse, and his gaze slowly drifted down to her. He stood there several drawn out moments, not seeming to recognize her. His gaze gained clarity and his face twisted into the same foul mask as those around him wore.

"Clusu!" he screamed, producing a large war-axe, and raising it over his head.

"NO!" she screamed as he brought the axe down on the branch, the only thing between her and oblivion. She looked up as she fell to her doom, and saw them laughing.

"NO!" she screamed again as she landed hard on the forest floor. She blinked several times trying to reorient her self. All hell had broken loose around her, only two feet from her was an open rift, and she backed quickly away still shaken from her all too real nightmare, tangling herself in the remains of the litter. The yimhi, Nobaya and Sora were nowhere in sight and Gui'Yata was struggling several yards away with something in the rift.

Gui'Yata was still on his own, the others had not returned, he was either going to have to pull Endra out or fall in with her because she had sunk her claws into his arm in her frantic attempt to save herself. His muscles began to burn with the strain of her weight. She was in shock and consequently was doing nothing to make this rescue faster or easier.

"Help me you Vanya!" he screamed at her, in frustration and fear, "you are going to kill us both!"

She looked at him with a blank gaze, then suddenly shook her head, and remembered what was happening. She began scrambling at the crumbling sides of the hole, and came toward him faster than he could compensate for. Before he knew what happened she was over the lip and he fell over backwards. Endra landed heavily on his chest, clinging like a dying man to his shoulders. He lay there panting, looking at the underside of the canopy, that had been way too close. He looked sharply at her, and suddenly was very uncomfortable. He jumped to his feet, pushing her roughly off the top of him, as if he was dumping a cat from his lap. She sat there trying to recover her breath and her wits, as Gui'Yata stared down at her. After a few moments he offered her a hand up, and she took it reluctantly. He pulled her to her feet but did not let her go and her features twisted, turning hard, realizing there was probably another tongue lashing coming.

But he just released her and turned to the wrecked travois, where his bondsman was struggling to disentangle herself. Courtney was still confused and more than a little groggy, for she backed quickly away from her bondsman as he attempted to help her. She was still held by the last vision of Gui'Yata severing her one tie to life. She shook the nightmare visions out of her head, denying their reality.


	12. Taysa Taru

Chapter Eleven: Taysa Taru

Chapter Eleven: Taysa Taru

Courtney wiped her brow again, swearing she was going to boil. She never realized how sheltering the forest was, until this little venture. They had been travelling for over a week and a half, and still had a long way to go yet. Courtney could not tell anyone the specifics of the journey up to a few days ago. She had fallen ill and barely lived through what Gui'Yata had told her was an allergic reaction to his blood. At least that had been his untrained assessment.

She looked through the glare to their leader, Nobaya. At least he was in the lead. He seemed to be relishing the heat, all 190 degrees of it. He stood straight in the saddle, alert to everything around him. She shook her head.

Beside her was Gui'Yata who had refused to leave her side since she became conscious. He held his mount to her shorter creatures pace, and the poor creature looked extremely pained. She must have really scared him, for his eyes never left her, not even when his mount stumbled. She had assured him several times over that she was feeling better, but it was obvious that he did not believe her.

Behind them was Endra, and bringing up the rear was Sora. Courtney glanced over her shoulder at the young stranger, who had joined their company just before her collapse. The slim creature seemed to be asleep, swaying in time to the choppy rhythm of her mount. Sora was as alert as Nobaya but was obviously not at all comfortable. Well she was glad she was not the only one.

She returned her attention to her hands, firmly clasped around the saddle-horn, remembering how really sick she still was.

Several blurry monotonous days later she looked up as they reached another patch of thick forest with trees almost as large as the city they had come from. She had not looked up for any other reason than that Gui'Yata had called a halt. She followed his gaze, which was now in the trees and sucked in a shocked breath. It was dark under the canopy where they gathered, but an ethereal green light bathed them allowing all around them to be seen. Neatly tucked into the curve of the branches was a cluster of Growths, their large rounded surfaces providing the light that they were seeing. It was the same variety that was widely used in Onona but these were pristine and untouched and that much more beautiful because of that fact.

Gui'Yata looked back seeming pleased with himself as he said, "We are where we need to be."

Courtney looked around the dining area of Taysa's common hall, or the Gather, as she preferred to call it. The place was pretty crowded a situation she thought they would never have to face starting a city on a premise totally alien to the way Onona had been run.

Gui'Yata had also been surprised at how many of Soona's residents found the lack of restrictions at Taysa appealing. The city was now four years old with a population of a little over two hundred. Soua from all over the planet had heard about the outcasts that had succeeded in eluding pursuit, and had made a home for themselves in the deep forest. No one would divulge information on where the city was located, and some of the residents had spent years just wandering through the forest trying to find the elusive paradise of Taysa.

Most of the population was younger Soua, ranging from Fausi to Taura, with different years of experience. They often came with Yimhi, supplies and weapons, as well as their trades, and expertise. Some had even brought ships of various technological advancement, allowing the residents of Taysa to continue their training, and to hunt. The demand for the ships was often more than the supply could handle. The wait for the hunts was upwards of a rotation, more if the ships were needed for transporting Saru for their raya or Fausi in need of completing their Taurana. Both cases taking several rotations in space, depending on the size of the pack taken.

A spaceport was located approximately fifty miles from the actual location of the city to prevent detection. Some Taysa ships were located on already existing ports, though they required a great deal of care to stay clear of unwanted attention. Either the use of large refractors or elaborate paint schemes camouflaged all ships from view. Thick forests, to prevent detection surrounded the spaceport on all sides. Hiding it from all but air travel.

Courtney saw so many new faces in the crowd, hoping that one of them was not an informant for the Eesa Oana, or those who followed him. Quite a few of the faces there however were very familiar, and she was thinking of the circumstances that brought each to come to Taysa, the City of Outcasts.

Nobaya stood across the hall, conversing with several Soua, most of them new to the city. Nobaya was a risk-taker, though more subtle about it than most. He appeared to be a Soua who was happy with his life, his position, and the society in which he lived. But now that Courtney knew him better, she had found that he had never been satisfied with the regulations instated on a citizen of a city like Onona, and only too happy to give it up for a chance to live the way he wanted to. That had been a surprise to all of the Soua who had thought they had known Nobaya. They never expected him to just give up a secure position, to instead start a new society with a group of Taysa Taru.

Yalsa who stood nearby looked uninterested in the yammering newcomers and was studying the comm board that displayed news garnered from the other cities.

He had never divulged why he had come here, though Courtney felt it was along the lines of some personal hurt. He had been highly regarded when she had left Onona, in high demand for the many small hunting ships in need of good astro navigators. He had soiled that reputation when he had deserted Onona and arrived here. The city had only been two years old with a population of ten individuals. Three had been Soua females, and the rest, with the exception of herself, were Soua men. At the time of Yalsa's arrival there were no drop ships, nor hunting ships of any kind. There was, therefore not much for a navigator of his stature to do. The fact did not seem to bother him. He had told them how news of Taysa was spreading, and talk was rampant. A great many of the population talked of leaving for the newfound city, but he had written most of them off as talkers only, with no intent to act on those words. The reputation of Onona's posse kept most of them in line.

The said-same posse arrived shortly after Yalsa's arrival, putting the young Taura in suspicion of giving their location to the Ot Eesan. It took some doing to get Yalsa acquitted of wrongdoing.

The "Posse" was not quite what it seemed, although its arrival brought all the population to the conclusion that they were going to die.

The reason it had taken so long for a posse to be sent, they had found, had been because the only party concerned about the deserters had been away on a tour as Eesa on a pack ship. The rest of the Ot Eesan assumed the deserters would just perish in the harsh wilderness and the summer heat.

Oana had been smug in the thought that the punishment he had concocted for the youth would be torture to both Gui'Yata and the Quona Lyanas. A Soua whom he had, had a grudge against these past hundred rotations.

Returning from the Pack hunt, and finding that his game had backfired, with the youth and the Clusu gone, Oana had been outraged. There were no traces of the two of them. Belatedly he had ordered an inquiry, and the information he gathered connected that disappearance with several others not only at Onona, but also Oosud, Hosmara, and Lesapa. Over the course of the investigation it was revealed that Quona Lyanas, of the Taya Quarta, had and withheld knowledge of Gui'Yata's intention to defect. Oana was more than happy to hear that, it gave him the ammunition he needed to humble Quona Lyanas.

The price for not turning over defectors was to be stripped of all rank and privilege. But in Oana's desire to injure the Quona more, he convinced the Ot Eesan to approve another punishment.

The Quona was instructed that he was to find this city of Taysa as its residence called it, and slaughter all the defectors he found there. If the task were not accomplished as stated, they would revert to stripping him of rank, where he would be forever training under Taura younger than him. The verdict outraged and appalled Lyanas, but he complied, knowing that rebelling outwardly would do him no good. He was watched very closely as he gathered those to be on the posse. Oana had made sure to include a group of Huada to ensure the Quona's compliance. But paid no real attention to those Quona recruited for himself.

Quarta took off two days after the verdict, headed in the general direction the defectors were said to have taken. It took them over two weeks to find the small well-hidden city, midway up a large thick stand of trees. And he silently congratulated his grandson for picking such a well-hidden spot.

Over the course of those two weeks, the Huada slowly began to disappear, only to be found dead in well concealed compartments. It put those Huada remaining into a state of constant alert, and they began to suspect everybody of suspicious behavior. But even the Huada could only stay alert so long, and when they made mistakes, they paid for them with their lives. The crew that Quona Lyanas picked had been sympathizers that he knew existed in the city, but had been too afraid for their lives to attempt desertion on their own. The Quona had gathered them together and informed them of the mission and the intention he had to defect himself. He also had full cooperation of the Taya Quarta. With that kind of power to lead them they were willing to try. They were apprehensive about taking the Huada on, and it showed when several of them were killed attempting to take their assigned man down. But he saw that the plan was paying off.

Another measure he had taken when trying to find the city, was to remain cloaked the whole journey. To prevent being tracked, and inadvertently giving away their "quarry". Tracking a refracted ship was improbable at best.

When they finally did arrive at the city it was minus all but a few Huada, who were easily subdued, as they made ready to disembark. Their intent to join rather than destroy the city's residents. It had been a nervous moment when they had seen Quarta looming over the city. Even worse when the contingency actually arrived in their treetop home.

The Quona had later said that they could not strip him of rank if he was not there for it. Or even if they did, what effect would it have on him here in Taysa?

It did not take long for the word to spread that a Quona, and a Taya ship, complete with crew had defected. Thereafter the new arrivals came in steadily.

Malice toward the new city was growing in those who saw Taysa as a threat to the Soua way of life. Recently, several squads of hunters who had trekked from Onona, and posing as new comers had attempted to destroy the city, to burn it, to assassinate its people. Many dwellings and many more citizens were lost in those raids. 

The council had chosen to retaliate by sending hit squads into surrounding cities, usually Onona. Cautious ones aimed only at those responsible for the attacks on Taysa. That did not prevent those not involved in either side of the conflict from being killed, as well as those warriors on both sides of the disagreement. The attacks were escalating steadily, and if not resolved soon would result in a full-blown Soua civil war.

An emergency council meeting had been called, and rumor was spreading that Huada had been seen in the city. Courtney and Gui'Yata sat staring at the self proclaimed emissary of good will from the Ot Eesan. The Huada who stood stiffly at the other side of the room was of very high rank. The Soua looked more than uncomfortable being in the presence of those him and his brethren had sworn to bring down, for the massacre that the Quona Lyanas had orchestrated.

As the remaining council members seated themselves, the Quona rose to address them, "The Huada Magara has come to us bearing an official message of the council."

The Huada nodded stiffly as Quona seated himself again, "I am here under orders. Were I not, Lyanas, your head would be on a platter for Oana's trophy wall."

Gui'Yata stood abruptly, "Mind where you are!" he boomed, "The protection of the Ot Eesan does not extend to Taysa, we can just as easily send your head back to that prehistoric kickback!"

"I would like to see you try, SAI!" Magara hissed.

"Enough!" Quona thundered to silence them, "This is not the time for this. We are trying to avert a war here. I will not have it start in my Eesan. Magara you will keep your insults to yourself... as you say you are here on orders. This is no vendetta trip for you."

The Huada was growling in a low menacing tone, which was slow to stop. Finally he bowed in respect, and turned to address the council members.

"The Ot Eesan summons you before them, under protection to discuss solutions to the rising tensions between our... different ways of life. The four highest members are to be in attendance. The Huada are to deliver you there in one week. Should the meeting fail to solve these problems protection is extended to you until you are again free of the city." Not until they were again home, just to the outskirts. The hunt would be soon after their feet left Onona soil. All seated understood that.

The silence following the Huada's words was oppressive. And the Huada began to look offended that they were even considering the idea. He was unaccustomed to anything but immediate compliance.

The Quona looked around the room getting slight nods from all around the table. They all understood that they were hopelessly outnumbered if the Ot Eesan ordered their destruction. He looked up again at the flustering Huada, "Give us two hours to prepare, we will meet you at the east edge of the city. You are dismissed." With that he and the rest of the council rose and left the room.

Courtney looked up at Gui'Yata as they left, looking concerned. "Do you think the Ot Eesan will keep their word?"

"We can only hope so. I do not wish to walk into a trap. It would greatly hurt Taysa if the top four Eesa were killed at this meeting."

"That's what worries me."

"Well they did not say we could not arm ourselves."

"True. But how many trained Soua are you willing to take on?"

As discussed Nobaya, Courtney, Gui'Yata, and Quona Lyanas, gathered at the East edge, preparing to head back into a city that did not want them. There were ten Huada waiting for them, taking up positions fore and aft of the mounted council members. Without a word or looking back, the group headed for the distant Onona.

The trek back was tense and silent, the council spoke to each other only in sign, a system they had developed after coming together as the governing body. It kept discussion between the members, and out of unwanted hands. They arrived to throngs of onlookers, some looking upset with the Taysa Taru return. None moved against them as they expected, though. Something for which Courtney was grateful.

They were escorted to the very door of the Doana, and their guard took up protective positions on the door to prevent intrusion. The Council members stepped inside, the Doana was void of the audience that had witnessed the Bonding of Courtney and Gui'Yata. The silence was eerie, and the mood was forboding.

The only illumination came from the end of the chamber on which the Ot Eesan sat, and all the members were seated silently waiting their audience. Seats had been set up at the base of their council, an inferior position to be sure, but how could they argue, they were here only by the truce and protection given by those seated above them.

The Ot Eesan and the four members of Taysa spent the next four days, discussing possible solutions to the current situation. Many times there was a sense that they were losing rather than gaining ground. And several times negotiations broke off both sides ready to walk away. But the overall want to prevent a civil war kept them there, kept them trying to reach a solution.

Toward the end of the fifth day a compromise was reached. And rules were set that would allow the Taysa Taru to exist legally in the eyes of the Ot Eesan. They were granted their freedom to live as they choose, so long as they bound themselves to the societal rules when traveling, or visiting other cities. They could harbor no criminals, requiring them to turn over all those raiders, and rogues who attempted to find refuge with Taysa. Those already in residence were given full pardon for their desertion, which in itself was a crime on Soona. Any further action against other cities was prohibited, and would be dealt with severely.

The next day there was a citywide announcement of the policy reached in closed session. The citizens were also warned that any action taken against the city of Taysa and its residents would be dealt with harshly. There were many unhappy grumbles at the announcement. Too many were still angry for those lost to the many raids staged by the Taysa Taru. Numbers exaggerated by those in power, to fan the flames of their anger.

With the compromise finally reached, the Taysa Taru were given quarters in the city and allowed to rest before returning to their own city. The party was exhausted, and many slept for several days, before being ready to trek back to Taysa.

The hostilities continued for a little while, from those who were not willing to abide by the High Eesans decision. They dwindled off after some time, as the notion became less popular.

"Gui!" Courtney yelled as she ran full bore toward their dwelling, "Gui!"

He turned toward her as she slid to a stop in front of him. "What is it?" he asked curiously in English, the language they used almost exclusively talking to each other.

"I just came back from the Gather. A message just came from the landing field. The drop ship just arrived from Earth."

"Giaran?"

"Gui, the ship was empty, came back on autonav, Giaran's been killed!" she was on the verge of tears.

Gui'Yata closed his eyes. Giaran was one of Courtney's students. An exceptionally brilliant Soua, who had learned quickly what he had been taught. He had even been interested in being a Soyasa, in Courtney's footsteps, which had made her very proud. Everyone thought he would be the first from Courtney's class to make Taura. Now he was dead, it must have been a serious blow to Courtney to find out her prize student was killed in his Taurana.

"They are retrieving the recordings now. The rest of the Eesas are gathering. They are going to need you there." She finished, trying not to sound as distressed as she looked.

With the exception of the Quona, all of the Eesas in Taysa were less than one hundred years old, an age considered immature to be leading a whole city. Even with the High Eesans favor of the city, very few older Soua came, being set in their ways, and still distrustful of the way the Soua at Taysa lived.

Gui'Yata and several others of the first settlers had been made Eesa's and were charged with the running of the city. It was hard work for someone not familiar with politics. Courtney, Nobaya and Sora were also inducted into the Eesan.

Gui'Yata tried to be leisurely in his walk back to the Gather, as much as he wanted to hurry and find out the circumstances of the young Soua's death. The information would not be disclosed before the whole of the Eesan was in attendance.

Once the Eesa's were assembled the recordings were started. The recordings began with several routine stalk and kill procedures, with some very nice resulting trophies. But now and again they would see a recording of Giaran attempting to lose pursuit by an unknown tracker. A man for all Giaran's skill seemed to be able to detect and track his presence. The first few he was, it seemed, allowed to get away from the pursuit, as if the man was just keeping Giaran under surveillance. The encounters became more and more frequent as the hunt lengthened. Giaran was having to resort to more deadly tactics, for he could no longer lose his tail. But as the incidents went on there was more in the opposing parties, and Giaran created more carnage as he tried to escape.

There was very little said verbally, for Soua on the hunt remained silent. One of the things Giaran said before the end of the tape was disturbing, and seemed to be made just for the benefit of the audience, "These followers are dogged, able to track me wherever I go, and are in seemingly endless supply. For all that I have killed in my escapes there are more to replace them. I cannot hunt any longer for they are dangerously close. Tomorrow I will break camp and return to the drop ship, to be judged for those trophies I have already been able to gather."

There was one last section of tape. Giaran was trapped, surrounded by fifty or more men with weapons. The young Soua had mistakenly fallen asleep and been boxed. The walls behind Giaran were smooth, no hand or toeholds. He searched the crowd of clusu around him searching for the weakest point to break through. In an act of desperation, and hoping they could not detect what he was doing he removed his disa, and aimed it at one point in the crowd. He aimed his plasma cannon at another spot and the missile launcher at a third. He launched all three simultaneously, at the same time he leapt for the far edge of those soldiers gathered in front of him. The recording taped men screaming as all three weapons ripped through their ranks. But those remaining, or who were able, took aim at the leaping form of Giaran, for he grunted as the projectiles made contact. He sprawled on the ground in trying to land a sure sign that he had been hurt. Courtney knew he never missed a landing when he performed his acrobatics.

Giaran pulled himself forward, attempting several time to regain his feet, only to fall down and resume crawling. Several time he looked over his shoulder, and the Eesans saw the men converging on the down Soua.

"I will not... allow myself... to be captured..." they heard him growl into the mike, and watched stupefied while he pressed the detonation sequence into his armband.

The video did not change but Courtney listened to the men in the background shouting, "Fuck detonation... get out." Shortly thereafter the screen filled with static.

There was a heavy silence in the room. Courtney finally broke it, "That's the third death on Earth in two rotations." she said quietly, her face flushed with anger. She could name off the cities that each had happened in, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix. She had kept track of who had gone to the planet and how they had fared. The years just after her departure from Earth were relatively quiet, all hunts were successful and the hunters returned, but starting about five rotations ago that had drastically changed. Twenty percent of the warriors, who went there for their Taurana, were tracked, easily, and forced to take their life rather than being captured. Though not all the hunters lost were from Taysa the losses still burned at Courtney.

"Could we see that last part again." Courtney requested. Watching closely as the recording played, looking for details that might tell her whom they were dealing with. "Whoa, stop there", she asked and the image froze. "Enlarge quadrant 10-6."

The image grew, soon dominating the screen. It was a patch on the sleeve of one of the soldiers, and as Courtney studied it she was certain that she had seen it before. But she found that after ten years, even the memory of that experience just before leaving was now fuzzy.

"Gui', Nobaya, do you recognize this?" Gui'Yata looked quizzical.

"It is familiar, but I cannot place where I have seen it." he said.

"I do," Nobaya interjected. "It is the same as that worn by the soldiers who lay siege to Quarta." Gui'Yata nodded in agreement.

"You are right." Courtney said her face going dark, "Damn them!" 


	13. Full Circle

Chapter Twelve: Full Circle

Chapter Twelve: Full Circle

"We have to blow all of their theories about your people to hell," Courtney said, "They know that you hunt in the summer, we will arrive in the winter. They believe that only one hunter is on the prowl at a time, we will hunt as a group, two at the very least. This will give us our only advantage. They will be too proud, and foolish to think that we have changed the rules, this is how we will defeat them. But it will only be an advantage for so long." she concluded bitterly, "The temperature is only slightly lower during the winter in Los Angeles, but we will need a special set of equipment, in case of bad weather or occasional cold spells."

"I will work on it." Yaha said, uncomfortable that someone with less tenure was in charge of this operation. But she swallowed her pride, knowing that she had volunteered to come on this mission. "The Yimhis equipment has been finished. We tested it yesterday it works as expected. The atomizers have been implanted and are healing well."

It was one of Courtney's ideas, they had made it possible to just release the higher methane content directly into the birds lungs, and mixing it with the atmosphere of the planet. There was a reader, on the device so that the methane was regulated to only supplement the methane in the atmosphere. Therefore they were not required to carry heavy cylinders of premixed gases. It also served to filter the native atmosphere of any gases that would be poisonous to the creatures.

The breast collar mounted methane tanks were hooked up to quick disconnects surgically implanted in the creatures neck. The Yimhi had been trained to hold their breathe while the tanks were changed, so as not to poison them. Their saddles were not much different from the ones used on Soona, except that the high back and front were made hollow for storage. Courtney had great faith in Yaha's inventions and modifications, none of them had ever failed to work. After all she had been trained as a Noora.

She was tall, at Eight foot three, and her name reflected that, Yaha meant tree in Sou. She had been teased a lot during her career. She was also avoided because of her tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, giving her a reputation as a rebel. She was refused acceptance to the Noora clan, though she had been trained by the best Noora that Soona had known, and she showed at least his talent. All because she had taken offense to the headmaster and called him a few choice words including accusing him of being a sasiyi, a very disgusting living slime. That did not lessen how much she knew about the secrets of weapon making, however. She was proving invaluable to this mission.

"How are the yimhi fairing?" she asked Sora as he walked up.

"They are beginning to settle, they are not accustomed to being in such a confined space."

"They will get their chance to move, your training is going well?"

"Yes they are responding well."

Sora was in charge of the training of their yimhi mounts. Teaching them signals for fighting. Their beaks were lethal being serrated and sharp, and he had modified an attack from the jumping that was inherent in the species. He had developed a special headgear for each bird which in coordination with the computer he carried relayed signals specifically attuned to each mount. He had wanted each of them to learn the technique, but there was not enough time, therefore he was charged with giving any orders to the birds while they were separated from them. All other orders were given verbally by the rider. His attacks were unorthodox, and the yimhi had never been thought of except as transportation, until now. Courtney was reminded of the training war-horses on ancient Earth received, becoming weapons in themselves. Only Courtney had seen their potential for use on this mission, then no one else thought it could be done. The Yimhi were considered too fragile to travel in a star-ship. Their physical requirements were considered too costly, and they were considered ill equipped to adapt to a different environment.

Sora was a strange one, he was an excellent tracker, an unmatched hand to hand combatant, and was precisely lethal with the raspa. The raspa was the extent of his weaponry though, and he wore nothing more than his loin cloth and the habade gauntlets that Courtney had given him, though she had managed to talk him into wearing a computer. He carried his breathing apparatus on a light backpack and there was a hook on his belt for when he removed his mask.

The Raspa was not a weapon to be discounted however. The device was capable of shooting multiple spearheads accurately up to five hundred yards. It extended to over ten feet for use at infighting and throwing. When thrown, the electromagnetic field created no friction, and it would continue to accelerate until it contacted a target, which would disperse the electromagnetic energy. The speed was directly proportional to the distance to the target. The Raspas top speed was unknown, although she was sure that she did not want to get hit by it.

He was the best, but his Psychological problems separated him from his contemporaries, who were afraid of his fits of violent depression. The Sesaya hunt had scarred him deeper emotionally, than it did physically. Courtney had been trying to help him since that first meeting, she did not like seeing someone in so much turmoil. He had made some progress and he had been grateful for the help no one else would give him. Though as of late she had been seeing signs of regression, and hoped that it would not flare to unacceptable violence on this mission.

Yalsa and Nobaya had also volunteered to come on this mission. Nobaya just because he enjoyed Rahas unusual company. And Yalsa out of obligation to her for the salvage of his leg. He still had a slight limp but it did not greatly limit his acrobatic ability.

Then there was Gui'Yata, her bonded companion. They were Taura together, and would be for the rest of their days. The high council had ensured that. But they had showed the high council, by deserting the city, they had made themselves targets of the High Eesans wrath, but they did not care. They were able to ignore the part of bonding that said they were only to know each other. Gui'Yata was young and she could not see holding him to a restriction like that. They were incompatible, if any one asked then yes they were officially bonded, and no one could prove otherwise, for they lived together and hunted together, and probably would for the rest of at least her days.

Taysa Taru-the outcasts, the name definitely fit. She looked over the motley crew one more time before dismissing them.

"That's the one." Courtney said in Sou watching the man move down the street. The helm showing in close detail the mans face. Her mask had the modification for visual light so she could see the way she was accustomed, as well as the infrared and ultraviolet.

Gui'Yata nodded, "I remember the man. He would make an excellent trophy."

"We need the information first, then we can divvy up the prize. Don't forget this is more than an ordinary hunt." she scolded.

He threw her a hurt look, "I have not forgotten that. You have stressed more than enough how dangerous this kind of hunting is. Aside from that my people have hunted here for centuries, we know a little about how your kind are." He pushed a finger against her mask where her nose would be.

"Sorry. High five..." she said, Raising her palm, he slapped it, and they clasped hands around the thumb.

"And good hunting." He replied in their modification of the welcoming of the hunt. She turned the yimhi toward the edge. The creature chose its usual path going down, a diagonal walk down the side of the wall. In the trees of Soona, the trip down would be a spiral around the circumference of the tree. Gui'Yata's yimhi fell in close behind and they quickly reached ground level.

Gerard walked down the deserted street, not really mindful of his surroundings, his thoughts turned inward. He bounced off something and fell heavily to the ground. He looked around confused, there was nothing there...Then there was he stared shocked at the person before him. It was a woman if the build was any indication. Her feet were bare but for strange leather, that peeked from under the leg guards she wore. She was clad in almost nothing, bare, well-muscled thighs winked out from under the weapons holsters. Around her waist was a sling strung with skulls of various sizes. It looked primitive, as did the leather bottoms, complete with the roughly cut skirt that hung down the back. Her midriff was also bare, and a breastplate protected her chest. Only one shoulder was protected, over that protruded a lethal looking gun. Then there was the mask, it hid her features completely. Blank eyes stared coldly down at him, it was roughly human in shape. Now and again he would see a strand of reddish brown hair, the color you see when dark hair gets bleached by the sun, whip across the face of the mask.

She stood over him with easy alertness, like a seasoned combatant, ready for any inevitability. She reached up and disconnected the hoses in a hiss of pressurized gas. Gently lifting it off her face, she shook her hair free.

Gerard took the opportunity to run, he had an uneasy feeling about what was happening.

"Sayanta coysan!" she yelled loudly. He turned back to look at her and ran into another invisible wall. He was getting tired of this.

"Nayan susaya." She said with venom, and he was roughly lifted to his feet, and forcibly turned to face her. His jaw dropped, he knew that face. It was gaunter than he remembered, scarred in places, but it was too familiar to forget. He could never forget that night on the ship, the events haunted him, especially the face of the crazy woman who refused to leave the company of butchers. Her hair was shortly cropped in front, and a leather thong secured the length in back. Her eyes were clear and alert, taking in everything in a moment.

"Running won't do you any good, you couldn't move fast enough to get away." she stated evenly in heavily accented English. She had been speaking Sou for a long time and it had changed her speech pattern, "You can let him go now, I don't think he'll run again. If he does I'll let you have him." she said with a venomous smile.

Gerard felt the grip on his arm loosen and fall away. Gui'Yata uncloaked and stepped around to stand beside Courtney.

"Jesus!" Gerard exclaimed, he remembered that thing too, "You're crazier than I thought."

"Oh so you do remember me, good." she finished flatly, "Now, I need information about the organization you were involved with, the night of the attack."

"I...I quit working for them a long time ago."

"Don't bullshit me," she said pulling him in close to her face, he amazed momentarily at her strength, "You guys don't quit, you just go on reserve status until the next predator shows. Now tell me!" she growled triggering her sraha. Gerard swallowed hard, she was a fucking loon.

"Why do you want to know this?" he said trying to distract her.

"This is a vendetta, you people seem to have no concern about the results of your actions, no care for the lives you ruin. Your people hounded me, invading my privacy. You forced me to make a trip that at the time I didn't want and wasn't ready to make.

"But its more than that now, the Soua are my people, better to me than the human race ever was. I have no desire to see any more of them killed on a hunt, by odds that even ten of them could not overcome. And in this case, that means ridding LA of organizations like yours. If you're not careful, I'll start with you." She said noticing his hand inching toward the weapon in his belt.

In a blur she kicked out, knocking the gun away and breaking the wrist in one motion. A weapon flashed into her hand and was at his throat before he could even think of reacting. It was a specialized weapon that had been fashioned after the disa. It expanded from five inches to seven foot long. Two disks were mounted at each end, and could be used easily in close quarters. One of the discs was detachable and acted just like a disa when thrown. But it was better in that it had more force being released at a greater speed. It would also separate into two equal lengths for independent attacks, and could be looped around the wrist for swinging.

"My, feisty aren't we." her face darkened, "Try that again please!"

"A...Alright I'll talk." He said downheartedly. He had seen lethal tactics before, and he could tell she was good at it.

"It's about fucking time." the creature grumbled, in gravelly English.

"I told you they were a stubborn lot. Look at how long it took to teach the other five." she looked at Gerard in his bewildered state, "Speaks pretty well doesn't he." she said nodding toward Gui'Yata.

"He...He understood?"

"Every word." Gui'Yata snorted derisively, "Raha teaches well."

"After all, it has been ten years. That makes for some pretty good practice time." Courtney chuckled, as Gui'Yata grabbed the stunned man, spraying his eyes.

"Augh" Gerard screamed tearing at his burning eyes, "I'm blind!"

"That's the general idea." Courtney said.

Gui'Yata slung the man over his shoulder and headed for the alley where the Yimhi were waiting.

Gerards eyes cleared slowly, and he tried again to figure out where he was. The room was decorated with a mixture of Earthen furniture and odd items that he could not put a name to. The door opposite him was firmly locked, though he was unsure how it would work. There were no knobs or any sign of a locking mechanism.

He wiped his forehead again, not being used to the temperature, he was sweating profusely. Why was he still here? He had given that bitch the information she wanted, yet they kept him locked away.

The place was small even he could tell that, blind as he was. He had spent his first few hours here feeling about, desperately wanting out.

"Oh, they have a new fetish on Soona, live humans. They think that they make good pets, once they are trained properly."

Gerards eyes went wide, "What did you do to my men?"

"Oh they are being taken care of, just as we would take care of a favorite dog."

"So, where's your leash bitch?", he said sneering.

"I told you!" She flared wickedly, "The Soua are my people, I am no longer considered Clusu, I have passed their tests, I am a hunter!"

Courtney pressed tighter against the door to the stairs, trying to tell herself that fifty degrees was not cold. The wind blew fiercely thirty-eight stories up, the rain falling on her suit rose as steam, the foul weather armor was doing its job, but she still felt cold. Or was it her apprehension?

"Where the hell is Gui'!?" she whispered to the howling wind, both mad at him and fearful for him. She kept trying to tell herself that it was irrational, he could take care of himself, but she was worried none the less. He had rarely been late for anything, not at all on this hunt, and it scared her to think that something may have gone dreadfully wrong.

They had become separated in their search for Connors, the head of a particularly wicked faction of the ATP (Alien Technology Procurement), as the Taysa Taru chose to call them. She had to cut her search short as the storm had set in. She had been on Soona so long that this weather was making her extremely miserable.

Her mask clanked against her thigh as the wind played with it. She was glad that she had secured her hair, otherwise it would be plastered to her face. She was impatient for the rest of the party to arrive so they could discuss what to do. 

Though Courtney had been designated leader of this mission, she had decided it best to leave decisions up to the group, letting majority rule. The rest of the Taysa Taru had agreed that no matter the outcome, all would stick by the decisions.

Despite the vast differences in personality of the team members, they had become a close knit group, complimenting and strengthening each others abilities. She felt good about that, it gave them an edge that their prey did not have.

One by one the Taysa Taru appeared hailing her, a few of them even had luck tracking down their leads. That only made her feel slightly better. When Gui'Yata had not shown by the time the last of the party was accounted for, she was sure something was wrong.

Sora noticed her agitation, "Is there something wrong, Raha?"

She nodded, trying to get her teeth to stop chattering, "Sai has not showed yet, he has not even checked in. I fear that something has happened to him."

The pelting rain felt like something walking on his back, waking Gui'Yata from his stupor. How long had he lay there, he thought, shaking off the dizziness, pushing himself out of the pile of refuse he had landed in. He moved slowly checking for damage. His left wrist was slightly swollen, and there was at least one rib cracked near his spine. Nothing major, luckily. He glanced over his shoulder painfully confirming what he thought, the Yimhi was dead. The impact with the truck had ruptured its methane tanks, and it had suffocated.

"Quona, how I hate this place," he grumbled, pushing himself slowly to his feet, not really meaning what he said. His luck just seemed to run bad here. He had found Connors, but the man had holed up where Gui'Yata was unable to get in. He had been on his way to the rendezvous, but Orange County was a long way away from Downtown Los Angeles, but without the Yimhi, his progress was going to be slow. He was going to be extremely late now, and he knew that Courtney would worry.

He had not seen the truck coming, he tried again to convince himself. The Yimhi had spooked at Quona knows what, and had stepped right into the trucks path. The truck having no forewarning plowed them doing about sixty. The impact had not hurt the bird directly, but Gui'Yata had been thrown into the wall, landing in the alley. The Yimhi had picked itself up, stared at the wrecked truck momentarily and followed its downed rider like it had been trained. It had collapsed there and died shortly thereafter.

Slowly Gui'Yata began to cull his equipment from the packs on the beast, he stashed what he would not be able to carry on his own, and set the self-destruct on the animal. This was a caustic liquid that quickly ate the carcass, including the non-organic saddle and packs. They were attempting to be stealthy this trip, no need to decimate a whole city block, it drew too much attention.

That done, Gui'Yata set off in the direction of Los Angeles. After several hours of fast travel he had reached the outskirts of the city, he decided it best to travel the rooftops. He began to scale the building using finger and toe claws to good advantage on the rough brick. The pain in his wrist slowed his progress however, even with the painkiller and brace he had taken time to administer. The more active he was the harder it was to breathe. He had gained several yards when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He reflexively gripped the building tighter. He looked down finding several men below, their eyes fixed intently on his position, they saw him? How? His refractor was in working order, he wondered about this a moment more, as his consciousness faded. He felt his grip relax, and panic rang through him, but there was nothing he could do, the tranquilizer was fast acting, powerful and rated for his metabolism. He was unaware of the impact when he blacked out and fell to Earth.

The men on the ground looked extremely pleased with themselves. A small man, who stood apart as the technicians disabled the refractor, pulled out a cellular phone and made a call.

"Santos here, we've managed to capture him...yes sir, they are doing that now. We should be able to get there in an hour. Yes sir, thank you sir." he finished, pushing the peppered black hair out of his eyes.

He looked on the creature for the first time, he had been told that they were large, but seeing it really sent the point home. His eyes reflected his pride in this capture.

This creature had done an excellent job of picking off their specialists, he thought as he circled the inert form on the ground. If he had gotten to Connors, their operation would have been dealt the most serious blow. His experience as a special team's trainer would be extremely hard to replace.

Their equipment had worked better than promised the new pheromone scanners were 88% accurate at a distance up to five miles. Good thing Connors had enough sense to call them early, it had been extremely easy to track it once the point of origin was known. It was unfortunate that they had not captured this creature sooner.

"Load him in the truck, and for heavens sake keep him sedated! The last thing we want is that thing getting loose."

"Yes sir," the subordinate said, as he finished disarming the self-destruct.

They had gained a lot of knowledge over the past thirteen years. That was due to the capture of the alien computer, from the last hunter who had hunted here, retrieved from the apartment of some woman who was said to be dead now. That one had been a puzzle, because no one had found the body, everyone had assumed that she was dead by the amount of blood found in the subway tunnel where she was last seen. They had also learned a lot from the recordings taken on the ship before it blasted out of Earth's atmosphere, the same ship they should have been able to capture intact, he thought bitterly. Little did Santos know that he had captured the very same creature that had been on that hunt. Gui'Yata had only been here a couple of hours since regaining consciousness. He was pacing angrily back and forth along the length of his cell, trying to determine a possible weakness. Across from him, was one of the two guards charged with preventing his escape. Gui'Yata had been playing a game with the guard, pacing only until the guard stopped. It had started out the other way around, but when the guard found Gui'Yata's annoyance with it funny, he had come up with a tentative plan. Now when the guard stopped Gui'Yata stopped. And it was lulling the young human into a false sense of ease. Gui'Yata took a deep breath, smelling the stench of the ozone, the bars were creating. His guards had looked puzzle when he had not tried to throw himself against what were obviously electrified bars.

Gui'Yata's glance moved to the other guard who was watching, looking slightly bored. He had a wary look in his eye, that told Gui'Yata that the guard would not be so easily comfortable around him.

"Tully, knock it off. That's just going to make it mad." The nearest guard continued oblivious to the warning, "Man, quit fucking with that killer!"

"Killer? Yeah and I'm the queen of England. I haven't seen anything out of this overgrown lizard to warrant that rep." He turned away to look at the guard he was talking to, "I mean after all look how easily it let itself be captured."

Gui'Yata looked to the second guard again, whose attention was now fully on Tully. Slowly he reached for the lapel on Tully's shirt, just inches on the other side of the bars. He hoped that his movement would not be noticed.

"Easy! You know how many people that thing went through? Twenty people in three days! Don't try to tell me he's not dangerous!" Gui'Yata concentrated on the guard across the room, as he felt the cloth firmly between his fingers. He began to gather the cloth tighter, to lessen the chance of his prey escaping him. As he drew it tight the wary guard noticed what was occurring, "Tully!" he screamed frantically, and Tully tried to pull quickly away. 

Gui'Yata yanked back hard bringing the guard up against the bars, and jumped with a yelp, as the guard grounded. He shook his hand, now tender from the shock he had just received. He was growling with satisfaction watching the guard smolder the burn, as his partner tried frantically to break the circuit between Tully and the bars. Thick smoke began to rise, and the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. The remaining guard gave up on trying to get Tully away from the bars and was now screaming into the phone for assistance.

The Taysa Taru refrained from hunting over the next two days as they searched for their missing companion. They had been able to backtrack to Orange County finding the remains of his dead yimhi. From there they traced him to a point, that was within a block of their rendezvous. What had happened there was all too evident. The stench of humans was strong, and the many footprints attested that it was not just a social gathering. They were military boots, and there was a larger depression that indicated there had been an impact of someone's body. Much too large to be human's, it had to be Gui'Yata. And it looked as if after all of these years the ATP got their specimen. The emotions at that discovery ranged from anger to fear. And the decision to double the efforts to find Gui'Yata was a unanimous decision.

Gui'Yata felt lethargic, he had been deprived of his mixture, forced to breathe the atmosphere, too long.

He moved slightly, listening to the chains clink softly. They had shackled him at the wrists, waist and ankles, the waist shackle was attached to the wall. He clicked laughingly, remembering how he had come to being shackled.

When he was originally captured they had only hindered his escape with electrically charged bars, a good deterrent even for him. One day when they were performing work up tests on him, the scientist did not take the proper precautions in securing him. When he took the blood sample, Gui'Yata lashed out, in pain and anger, catching the idiot squarely in the chest. A Soua's natural nails were razor sharp, and it nearly flayed his skin clean off, and almost gutted him in the process. The scientist lived, much to Gui'Yatas dislike. He was in surgery for three hours, taking two hundred stitches before they were finished. The man still had not returned to work, and he growled satisfaction.

Gui'Yata winced as he moved his wrist without thinking, it throbbed dully and the pulling pain in his ribs was no better. He huddled in the corner, his temperature was off, it seemed colder in here. He listened to the scientists doting over his equipment, hoping for the chance to escape, before he was too weak to attempt it. He was getting sick and he knew it.

The Taysa Taru had been searching desperately for their lost member, having gone through ten of the ATP members trying to get information. Courtney felt odd standing among her own kind again. The close quarters of the subway making her claustrophobic. She felt confined, her skin tingled and itched with the contact of the bustling bodies around her.

She felt a sudden pang of guilt, and loss, things she thought she had buried enough to make this mission. It still nagged at her, what had her family done without her there to support them? She supposed they got along, she still wanted to see them now and again, but she knew that was impossible. They were forever out of her reach, they would understand her even less now than when she had decided to go into demolition for a living. Getting close to them again would only make her doubt what she was here for, that would jeopardize their mission. No they were separated by two totally alien societies now. She felt tears well in her eyes, at the anguish that suddenly threatened to tear her calm facade apart. She shook her head, clearing her mind of everything but the business at hand.

She was trailing a possible member, one who was supposed to know something about her bondsman's whereabouts. She wore a long Australian overcoat that hid most of her armor, though some did peek through, drawing some unwanted questions.

"Hey baby Halloween was two weeks ago." one man leered.

"Stuff your head in a toilet, sasiyi." She growled in her accented English, placing her knives on his cheek to drive the point home.

"Hey, baby, no offense, Shit!" he said quickly retreating into the crowd. She sheathed her blades.

She had no time for these assholes, she thought returning her attention to the man standing at the other end of the car. He stood out, a large, well muscled black man, those around him giving him wide berth, not wanting to come to close to him. He was rumored to have switched to government work in exchange for a pardon for his former dealings with gangs, and drug running. He looked the part.

She was sure that this guy would not take her seriously, and hoped again that Yaha had been able to follow her. She knew that she could take this guy on her own, but she wanted him as undamaged as possible. An eight foot three inch tall alien had potential for loosening tongues.

She watched as he got off on the next landing, and followed suit, casually, trying not to draw attention to herself. The act belied her anxiousness. She wanted to find out if he had the information she required, and quickly.

She felt somehow empty without Gui'Yata there by her, they had been together on all of the hunts, so much had happened to the both of them, it felt like losing a hand. The last thing she wanted was it to be permanent.

There was another, more serious reason however. The information they had gleaned from some of the members they had "interviewed", suggested that Gui'Yata was ill, they had even told her why, though they hadn't known it. When they had captured him, they stripped him of all his equipment, so that the scientists could do further studies on the technology. That included his rebreather, and tanks. That meant he was slowly being poisoned by Earths atmosphere. It was too low in methane content, Soua could breath it for short periods of time without harm, but prolonged exposure could kill. They would have to find Gui'Yata before it was too late to reverse the effects.

She followed him out of the subway and turned down an alley behind him, tying her overcoat shut. She heard the beep in her ear, good Yaha was still with her, and the subway had blocked the signal. Courtney quickly caught up with the man, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He whirled on her, and she jumped back, fighting the urge to lash out at him, feigning fright. He relaxed when he saw it was only a girl.

She smiled tentatively at him, "Uh...you got a cigarette, mister?"

"Sure," he said smiling warmly, "Didn't mean to scare you, never know who it could be this time of night." he turned curious, "you're taking a real chance wandering around the alley this time of night."

"Yeah, well I'm a real night owl, y'know?" she shrugged, lighting up the smelly weed. That was Yaha's signal to move into position, "What's your name?" she said seductively.

"Dennis..." he said smiling, picking up on the suggested invitation, "Dennis Grover...You know, you are one hot number." he stepped closer to her, looking hungrily in her eyes.

She smiled back at him, "Dennis" she said in a whisper, watching him melt toward her, "Look behind you."

His brows furrowed, that was not what he was expecting her to say, tentatively he turned around, right into the face of some thing. He stumbled and fell, his eyes wide with disbelief, "Holy shit!"

Courtney stepped around beside Yaha, "You see my friend here?" he nodded dumbly, "Your organization has a creature like her in captivity," she said calmly, "Where is he?!" she said through her teeth feeling herself lose her grip on her temper.

"I...I don't know what your talking about," he said, but his eyes betrayed him.

"You're lying!" she growled, kicking him in the face.

He wiped the blood from his face slowly, "Bitch you're beginning to make me mad..." he said pushing himself up.

"Ooh, I'm scared, look at me tremble." she said tonelessly, which shook his bravado momentarily, "We can do this easy or hard, Dennis, I prefer hard. You however would definitely prefer easy. I have been dying to take one of you ATP pukes out all day. You will tell me where he is or you'll join your friends." she dumped a bag out on the ground, three skulls rolled to a stop, she pointed to each with a foot, rolling them upright, "Smith...Sandoval...Gomez...associates yes?"

"You bitch!!" he screamed lunging for her, she flung off her overcoat before he could cross the space between them.

She lithely sidestepped his advance, elbowing him hard in the back of the head, hearing him grunt as he hit the ground, "Oh I love it when they fight back." she said lusciously, enraging him more. She wore a similar outfit to the alien who stood quietly by, calmly watching the fight. Yaha was only to prevent his escape, hers would be the pleasure of the kill this time.

Courtney soon had Dennis incapacitated, but he still would not cooperate, figuring they needed him alive. Courtney gave Yaha an almost invisible signal, and she left for a moment. She brought back a creature that Dennis would not have conjured in his worst nightmare. The big alien approached, stepping on his throat, as she looped a rope of sorts around one ankle. She then mounted the creature, and tied the other end of the rope to its saddle, his eyes went wide.

"Bye," Courtney said "see you in a few."

The bird creature took off, at a dead run toward the nearby wall, then it leapt catching the side of the building twenty feet from the ground, and Dennis slammed hard into the wall below the creature, feeling blood well into his mouth. Before the creature stopped, Dennis was thoroughly bloody. The stop was no better, he now dangled fifteen stories from the alley below. His head pounded, his newly broken arm ached, but he was conscious enough to know how precarious his predicament was. The bird and its rider were perfectly comfortable clinging to the side of the building. He groaned, feeling his consciousness ebb.

Gui'Yata stood with his back to the bars of his cell, thinking of the watch scheduled for tonight. It had been easy to memorize, they had not changed it in the several days since his capture. They had provided him with vital information, without knowing it. For they figured that the creature did not understand what they were talking about, and therefore spoke about everything freely. Gui'Yata was not about to dissuade them.

Taylor would be showing up shortly for duty. He was a short, fat man, rather piggish, his head would not even make an attractive trophy. Gui'Yata hated him, the man was lower than any Clusu he had ever hunted, and he would seethe every time Taylor walked into the room. The man took particular sadistic pleasure in beating him, and Gui'Yata had been unable to get at him. His struggling was met by laughter, frustrating Gui'Yata all the more. He ran a hand absently down his arms, feeling the ugly discolored welts left by their last session. There were more over his back. The beatings had irritated his already sore, cracked rib. 

This time would be different though, he had been worrying at the mounted ring on the wall, and it was now loose. It had been easier than he thought, because his captors paid little attention to his actions. They did not notice when he leaned against the wall seeming to hang from the ring, though he was actually working it back and forth, breaking the brick around the mount. This was his chance to escape...take out this freak, and there would be no one to stop him from breaking free. If he did not succeed, he doubted that he would have either the opportunity, or the strength to attempt it again. He was fighting the Sickness now, having a hard time thinking rationally.

He heard voices in the next room, laughing, talking about their nights. The doorknob turned and he heard, and smelled Taylor come in, Quona he stank. He deliberately ignored the man, as Taylor waited for the off-going watch to leave. Gui'Yata felt the mans eyes on his back, but was not going to give him the satisfaction of turning around. He heard the receding sound of a car above.

Taylor flipped off the charge on the bars. The lock of the door rang as the key was inserted, and slow footsteps came into the cell. Taylor stopped just out of reach of Gui'Yata's chains, as he had done several times before.

"Here puppy..." he snickered, prodding Gui'Yata in the leg with the pole he always carried. It was about seven-foot tall, and heavy, about one and one half inches in diameter. Gui was uncertain how the overweigt man could even manage to swing the thing. Gui'Yata ignored his taunts, and he prodded harder, this time in the soft area of his stomach, just under the ribs in his back, "C'mon" he cajoled, "don't you want to play?" He still got no reaction, and becoming frustrated he swung, hitting Gui'Yata in the small of the back. The creature staggered a few steps from the blow, and Taylor smiled wickedly. He enjoyed hitting Gui'Yata until he dropped, which usually took all of Taylors eight hour shift. His co-workers had often wondered why he went home more frustrated than when he had arrived. Those were the nights that Taylor had not been able to make Gui'Yata fall. Lately, it had been more satisfying, Gui'Yata was a lot weaker than he had been when he had first arrived. For some reason, putting Gui'Yata on the ground in pain made Taylor feel somehow superior. He was probably the kind who took his frustrations out by beating the wife, kids and dog.

After several more hits, Gui'Yata made his move, catching the stick at one end. He wrenched it out of Taylors hands, and took a swing of his own, one that would put any home-run hitter to shame. The stick caught Taylor across the bridge of the nose, breaking it with a loud pop, though not in the place where it would drive the cartilage into his brain. Gui'Yata knew that was a way to kill a human, but he wanted to draw out this bastards pain. The man was thrown back several feet, sprawling messily on the floor.

Gui'Yata dropped the stick and strained on the end of his chain trying to finish the clusu. The ring was better anchored than Gui'Yata had anticipated, he was growling openly.

Taylor rolled over his eyes wide with terror, trying to breath through the pulp that had been his nose. His face was hot with the blood flowing freely from his shattered bridge. He scrambled to his feet and made quickly for the door as he realized the ring was coming out of the wall.

Gui'Yata sank to his knees, as a wave of weakness washed over him. He began to curse the man named Taylor, himself and life in general. He had failed, he would die, he knew, for there were no more tries.

Taylor had moved to the furthest point away from the cage, staring wide-eyed at the creature, as it bubbled angrily at him, and almost sounding like curses of damned men. Shortly the creature lost consciousness, hanging like a marionette from the chains. Damn the pay, he was not even going to retrieve the stick, Taylor thought holding a piece of cloth to his face.

"Damn!" Courtney swore, as Yaha finished cleaning her newest trophy, "we are not getting anywhere, these people have mouths like pit bulls, locked tight."

"There is still Gerard," Yaha suggested, putting her prize in a bag, "his tongue is quite loose, and he is still alive. He may know where the...lab...is." she said fumbling with the English word she had no equivalent for.

Far away from the searching party, the ATP was busy. Everyone was excited about the new discoveries being made daily about the alien technology "Procured" from their captive.

Tarry and Ben were two of the scientists heavily involved with trying to figure out the mysteries of the alien devices. They were working mid-shift tonight, on the plasma cannon, trying to yield information on how it worked.

Ben moved away from the table rubbing his aching eyes, he had been looking over the schematics of what was believed to be the controlling device, for over an hour. He stood and stretched, moving restlessly about the cramped basement of an ordinary looking two story ranch house in the middle of the desert.

He noticed the creature lying lifelessly on the floor of its cell, and walked over. It was on its stomach, and the one eye he could see stared unfocused out from under the cascade of what was their hair. Its breaths came short and shallow, completely irregular.

Ben picked up a nearby hammer and hit one of the bars hard with it, the clang echoed off the walls. Its' head jerked, lifted a few inches off the floor and regarded him, then slowly lowered back, its' eyes losing focus again.

"Our friend looks sick." he stated to Tarry, who looked up from his work.

"Huh?"

"It looks sick." he repeated, motioning over his shoulder, Tarry glanced at the cage.

"It's probably just sleeping," he said with irritation, "Don't let it fool you, I heard Jim Taylor was attacked yesterday, Damn fool went in there on his own."

"We all know how he likes to torture animals, Tarry." at that a low growl could be heard from the cage, Ben looked wide-eyed that direction, "Besides, they retrieved his stick from the cell, we all know what he does on watch. They were not able to prove it until now. If you ask me he got what he deserved." He finished slowly, not really paying attention to what he was saying, "You know I sometimes get the feeling crab face here understands us." he said suddenly.

"Don't be stupid," Tarry retorted, "C'mon lets get back to work."

Ben looked one more time at the large creature in the cage, it was staring his direction, and with none of the lack of focus he had seen earlier. He shivered, feeling small, seeing intelligence behind those bright orange eyes, and returned to the table. The two of them continued to chatter, but it was now all science.

Gui'Yata heard their conversation, but the words, unless he really concentrated on them, had no form or meaning, sounding like a gurgling brook. It was soothing, tempting him to let go, to fall gently into the blackness that beckoned. He was trying to fight it, knowing it was his sickness, he was slowly losing the ability to do so. A pang of helplessness overwhelmed him, but was quickly gone as he slipped back into the murmur that demanded all of his attention.


	14. The Rescue

Chapter Thirteen: The Rescue

Chapter Thirteen: The Rescue

"Damn!" Courtney swore, as Yaha finished cleaning her newest trophy, "we are not getting anywhere, these people have mouths like pit bulls, locked tight."

"There is still Gerard," Yaha suggested, putting her prize in a bag, "his tongue is quite loose, and he is still alive. He may know where the...lab...is." she said fumbling with the English word she had no equivalent for.

Far away from the searching party, the ATP was busy. Everyone was excited about the new discoveries being made daily about the alien technology "Procured" from their captive.

Tarry and Ben were two of the scientists heavily involved with trying to figure out the mysteries of the alien devices. They were working mid-shift tonight, on the plasma cannon, trying to yield information on how it worked.

Ben moved away from the table rubbing his aching eyes, he had been looking over the schematics of what was believed to be the controlling device, for over an hour. He stood and stretched, moving restlessly about the cramped basement of an ordinary looking two story ranch house in the middle of the desert.

He noticed the creature lying lifelessly on the floor of its cell, and walked over. It was on its stomach, and the one eye he could see stared unfocused out from under the cascade of what was their hair. Its breaths came short and shallow, completely irregular.

Ben picked up a nearby hammer and hit one of the bars hard with it, the clang echoed off the walls. Its' head jerked, lifted a few inches off the floor and regarded him, then slowly lowered back, its' eyes losing focus again.

"Our friend looks sick." he stated to Tarry, who looked up from his work.

"Huh?"

"It looks sick." he repeated, motioning over his shoulder, Tarry glanced at the cage.

"It's probably just sleeping," he said with irritation, "Don't let it fool you, I heard Jim Taylor was attacked yesterday, Damn fool went in there on his own."

"We all know how he likes to torture animals, Tarry." at that a low growl could be heard from the cage, Ben looked wide-eyed that direction, "Besides, they retrieved his stick from the cell, we all know what he does on watch. They were not able to prove it until now. If you ask me he got what he deserved." He finished slowly, not really paying attention to what he was saying, "You know I sometimes get the feeling crab face here understands us." he said suddenly.

"Don't be stupid," Tarry retorted, "C'mon lets get back to work."

Ben looked one more time at the large creature in the cage, it was staring his direction, and with none of the lack of focus he had seen earlier. He shivered, feeling small, seeing intelligence behind those bright orange eyes, and returned to the table. The two of them continued to chatter, but it was now all science.

Gui'Yata heard their conversation, but the words, unless he really concentrated on them, had no form or meaning, sounding like a gurgling brook. It was soothing, tempting him to let go, to fall gently into the blackness that beckoned. He was trying to fight it, knowing it was his sickness, he was slowly losing the ability to do so. A pang of helplessness overwhelmed him, but was quickly gone as he slipped back into the murmur that demanded all of his attention.

Gerard paced the floor of the ornate room, thinking again on a way to get out. He was really tired of this place, how long had he been here? It seemed like forever. His pacing stopped as the door slid open, and the woman entered, what was her name? He could not recall it being mentioned.

"What do you want now?!" he said viciously.

She looked down trodden, and it confused him. But he could not resist taking a stab at her.

"You look lost, did someone steal your play-toys? What no snide comments?"

"Shut up!" She growled smacking him hard. She turned away from him, as he rubbed his burning cheek, tempted to retaliate.

"I'm sorry." she said suddenly, taking him by surprise.

"An apology? Whoa, you must want something." he said with a twinge of smugness, "What do want from me, O'fearless leader?"

She fidgeted, obviously having a hard time bringing herself to the matter at hand.

She took a deep breath, "I need your help, I have nowhere else to turn. The rest have agreed that you are my best bet. One of our party is in trouble, and you may know something about where he might be."

"What do you mean?"

"Your people have managed to capture one of my party."

Gerard wanted to laugh, but knew that it would be dangerous to do so.

She went on, "How much do you know about these creatures you have been hunting for so long?"

"Not much, just what will hurt them." He shrugged, "I was only a soldier, just hit and run stuff."

"Well," she sighed, "The atmosphere of this planet is not sufficient to sustain them. And your people are slowly killing a friend of mine. You see they have stripped him of his tanks..."

"How do you know that?"

"We got the information from several of your people, before they were killed." she said casually, he swallowed hard at her tone, "The problem is that none of them could give us the information on where they have him. We think that you can."

He turned away from her, of two minds about helping her. That day so long ago, on that alien ship, had scared him more than anything he could remember. That was why he had quit, and why his life had been a virtual hell these past thirteen years. Then again, this could be his chance to repay the Organization for their treatment of "Loyal soldiers". "I wish I could help you. But I wasn't lying when I told you I had quit that organization. That day spooked the hell out of me, so I turned in my resignation. They in turn tried to have me eliminated, something about my knowing to much to stay alive..." he shrugged, "Anything I told you would be outdated information, over ten years old."

He saw the depth of her feeling for the creature that she had been referring to play across her face. His brows furrowed, she was so very strange, yet there was something about her. Something innocent and vulnerable under the callous exterior she had erected, to protect herself from her new world.

"I...I can show you where they used to keep the lab. I don't guarantee that they are still there, but it is worth a try."

She looked at him searching his face testing his sincerity. She smiled weakly, "Thank you. I'll be back." she said starting toward the door, she paused a moment, "I lied to you about your men...They were killed shortly after arriving on Soona, some of the natives of the planet took them, when they tried to escape. I'm sorry." with that she left. And Gerard began to cry for the first time since the loss of his company.

The next day Gerard was taken from the room he had been in all this time, and escorted outside. The light nearly blinded him, when his eyes finally adjusted he took in the scene.

They were in a heavily forested area, probably Griffith Park again, but a different spot. There were several of the creatures busily preparing six strange mounts, in the clearing at the end of the ramp. The creature that had brought him this far left him there without any concern for what he might do.

Gerard slowly moved down the ramp observing the way the beings interacted with the birdlike mounts. He noticed off to one side was the woman, and he still did not know her name. He headed that direction, she was looking over a large map.

"Hello," he said tentatively.

"Um, morning." she said, "Can you show me on this map where this place is?"

"It is out here," he pointed to a section of the map, a good distance from where they were now, "Out in the desert."

"That's about a days travel time." she calculated, "here." she handed him a bundle, as he unwrapped it she walked off to consult with one of the creatures.

The package contained a set of clean clothes.

He approached her again, "UH, thanks," She nodded and continued with what she had been doing. Her hair was loose and she had let it fall down one side of her face. He looked at that face for long moments, tracing scars he did not remember being there the last time they had met. He cleared his throat at thoughts he knew he should not be thinking, "I... never was told your name." he said, she stared at him a moment, then smiled.

"My name is Courtney. You are Gerard."

"Call me Scott, please, my last name reminds me too much of the Organization. You must trust me a little, to be letting me run around."

"I don't think you'll go anywhere. If you tried I suspect you would not get very far, everyone here is a deadly aim."

"I believe that." he said sincerely, "I still don't understand, you have been living with these creatures for thirteen years?"

"Yes." she said suddenly mad, "your people didn't give me much of a choice."

"I'm sorry, but what I meant was... I mean from what I've seen here, it looks like a strict set-up. How'd you manage?"

Her head cocked to one side, "It has not been easy, you do what you have to, I guess that is why they say humans are the most adaptable species on Earth." She motioned to the members of the party, her brows furrowed, "These creatures are Soua, and those you see here are the nucleus of my family. The only one missing is the one ATP has in captivity, he is my best friend, my bondsman." she looked at her feet a moment, "There is a long story behind our meeting."

After an hour of explanation Gerard had a little better appreciation of her sacrifice, and the incredible feat she had accomplished in such a rigid society. She stood up looking down at him, then turned her attention to one of the creatures approaching her. The creature stood about seven perhaps seven foot one inch tall, he was light brown with chocolate brown crosses and diamonds decorating his skin. There was an ugly oblong scar on the creatures left leg, vague teeth marks showing. Gerard listened as she spouted a series of unintelligible squeals, and clicks to the creature.

"We can not take the time to move over there on Yimhi, it would take to long. We will have to move Quarta closer to the target, and operate from there."

"Then we are risking detection, Raha." Yalsa argued, always thinking first of the ship.

"To Chai with detection! We're trying to save a life here! By the time they know, we will be halfway to the desert!" then she quieted, "Hopefully halfway home."

Yalsa acquiesced, then turned to the others, "Load the Yimhi on the ship, we leave in ten minutes."

Gerard did not know what was said but he got the gist, the clearing was suddenly a flurry of activity, creatures loaded the mounts back onto the ship. And equipment was gathered hastily but efficiently and brought back on board.

"Time to go." Courtney said to him, ignoring the activity around her.

"You mean..."

"If you think I'm leaving you here, mister you've got another thing coming. You're now a voluntary prisoner, C'mon." Something in her tone made him laugh. He stood, shrugged and walked up the inclined ramp.

"This should be interesting," he mused.

Quarta settled about five miles from the targeted house, among rolling dunes. They had already prepared the Yimhi and were mounted awaiting the ramps opening. They had given Gerard his own mount, but he was unsure whether he was going to be able to handle it. He had ridden horses, but had the feeling this was nothing like it. The woman approached and spoke in low tones to the bird, before mounting her own.

The glare of the desert welcomed them and Courtney signaled them to move out. Gerards bird lurched forward, and he was hard put to keep his balance. He watched in amazement as those ahead of him disappeared, and panic rang through him. But he figured the bird knew what it was doing if he did not.

He had just gotten settled into the birds rhythm when they came to an abrupt halt. He gave the bird the signal Courtney had taught him, it settled on its haunches, and he slid off. He began to think his mount had gotten him lost when the group materialized just under the ridge. He quickly clambered up slope and joined them.

The house was a paradox, Courtney thought, it was peaceful, quiet. She watched the horses graze in the oasis of green grass, set in the middle of arid desert. She looked at Yalsa then to Gerard still not sure that the information was correct.

"Are you sure this is right?" she asked.

"Positive. If it is still in use. It was specially built as a research facility for these creatures. I was in charge of security when they were in the process of building it. Don't let it's looks fool you." He moved his rifle to a more comfortable position.

She sighed, looking back at the house, "Ok lets go." she said in English, and motioned the group back down the hill.

They approached the house stealthily, though their refractors hid them. They kept sharp eyes out for any resistance, knowing full well that this organization may have developed technology to detect their presence. It remained deathly quiet.

"Sir, perimeter alarms have been tripped at research station Alpha-ten-Charlie. Nothing shows up on visual scans. Pheromone scanners have picked up twelve cloaked targets heading for the entrance to the ground level. Two fit the human profile, four are identified as the alien previously encountered, the other six are unknown, they match no known profile."

Santos hit the intercom and alarm at the same time, "Scramble the strike team, we have a situation zebra at research station Alpha-Ten-Charlie, this is not a drill!" he was a natural leader, "Damn, I thought they hunted alone! Twelve of them?" He whispered to himself.

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP", the perimeter alarm also alerted Hopkins of the danger, at his post. He was a man who took his job seriously. He punched up the cameras and was met by blank screen.

"What the...?" he mused, a blank screen did not mean much however, not when they had a creature that could hide itself with light, in their cage. He dashed out of the control room, stopping to relay his information to Taylor.

"Hey, man, we got a perimeter breach, sector five delta."

"What you get on the cameras?" Taylor asked nasally from under his bandage, a good reminder of the viciousness of their captive. Hopkins had been surprised that the creature had not killed him with that blow. He knew this front Taylor put on was to cover how embarrassed and scared he felt over what had happened.

"Nothin' that's what's got me spooked, could be more O' them things like our friend there." he nodded toward the cage.

"Gimme a break, probably got a malfunction in the sensor."

"Well, I'm going to check it out."

"Have fun." he snickered.

"Lazy son of a bitch." Hopkins smoldered, climbing the stairs out of the sub-basement. He silently wished that Taylor had gotten canned over that incident, but he had a few strings to pull with his influential father. Damn he deserved to get fired, sadistic bastard had almost ruined everything. As Hopkins disappeared up the dark stairwell, the two scientists and Taylor shared a laugh on his behalf.

Hopkins drew his weapon as he reached the door leading outside, sector five delta was immediately opposite this door. He opened to door and was hit with the heat and the glare of the desert noonday sun. He stepped through the door cautiously, looking for the distortions that were rumored to mark the creatures camouflage. That was going to be hard when the air itself was distorted in this heat.

As careful as he was he barely saw the motion of the jaws, just materializing from its cloak, "Jesus!" he exclaimed as he dropped and rolled out of the way of the snapping beak. He fired twice at the creature, bigger than two grown men, and watched in horror as the bullets ricocheted off its scaled hide. He rolled again as a four-clawed foot stomped the ground where he had just been.

He regained his footing and started to run, right into Quona's Raspa. "Auuk" was the startled cry from the man as he grasped the spear in his gut. Quona put the man quickly out of his misery.

Courtney motioned the group inside, stopping Gerard, "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle what happens in there?" It was genuine concern, not a sneering challenge, as he first thought it was going to be.

"I...I think so."

"Ok, let's go." she locked her helm in place, and followed him closely. Relaying in Sou what Gerard was saying about the layout he remembered, to the party.

The group split up scouring the upper levels of the house. Outside of the one guard they had encountered, they had moved around unchallenged. This was going too easy, Courtney thought, it was making her edgy.

When the all clear was given, Gerard showed them where the basement level was. It was well lit, with several doors on either side of the room. Each was silently and methodically checked, each member's report was the same. No signs of any lab work at all. Courtney looked angrily at Gerard.

"What is this some kind of joke?" She asked menacingly. She did not notice Nobaya leaving their huddle.

"It used to be here, I gave you no guarantee that it was still an active station, remember? They have dozens of these." He retorted hotly, feeling more than a little out of place with these killers. Courtney had no comeback for that, no he had not promised her anything. She began to despair, thinking that they were going to be too late to save Gui'Yata.

It was just then that Nobaya rejoined them, "Here." he whispered urgently, a drawn out hiss, they went to the last room on the left side, "They are here, close, I can hear them. I also can smell them, their foul odor permeates this place." He walked up to a wall hanging hung a little too conveniently on one wall, "Here!" he said flinging back the hanging, behind it stood a heavy wooden door. Courtney passed him and set her ear to the door, sure enough she could hear voices coming up from a hidden room below. She pounded Nobaya's arm affectionately, thank heaven for Soua ears.

She slowly opened the door, and lithely made her way halfway down the steps, motioning the others to sit tight. She sat in the shadows taking in the scene.

There were two men in smocks sitting at a long bench, looking over a printout, they were talking loudly, more joking than working. They were exchanging insults between themselves and another guard who was leaned against the wall.

The guard's nose was bandaged, and his cheeks bruised, he looked as if someone ran him into a wall. She almost laughed, realizing that what she was looking at was probably Gui'Yata's handiwork. She knew he would try to get even with these bastards on his own. Heaven knew he was sitting far enough away from the cage. She knew though that he had not been successful, for he had not contacted them.

The cell was directly opposite the man, its' bars humming with electricity. Her smile faded when she caught a glimpse of Gui'Yata's condition. He lay lifeless on the floor, he was gaunt, his once healthy body wasted, his coloring dulled. Ugly purple-black welts covered his back. She switched to infrared and studied his heat signature. Body temperature was down, multiple bright spots showed her serious internal injuries, and his brain activity was down.

"Son of a bitch!" she whispered, feeling her hands make fists.

She crawled back up the stairs seething, and explained to the rest of the group the situation. Quona got up and left for a moment, when he returned he held the headless corpse of the first guard.

"A distraction." he stated coldly. Courtney nodded.

"Nobaya, Yaha, you are with me. Follow me down, when we have the situation in control, the rest of you follow, and search any rooms we have not been able to see. Sora, you stay up here and keep an eye out for reinforcements."

They all nodded, readying themselves. Gerard felt lost, he did not even know what had been said. He decided it best to let the others handle it before he showed himself.

With a loud thumping sound the body came rolling down the stairs, taking all in the lab by surprise. The body was thoroughly mutilated and the head was missing. One of the lab technicians puked at the sight the other was too horrified to do anything but gawk. Taylor unlocked the gun in its holster, hand floating over it in readiness.

"Who...Who's up there?!" He queried his mind in overdrive not even noticing the bloody corpse at his feet.

The wind was knocked out of him as something tackled him, it rolled over him then stood up. It was a woman! Two very large creatures similar to the one in the cage had followed her down. One took the scientist who was not retching and shoved him into the table, he groaned as the corner found his groin, the other one was lifted and bodily hung on a peg on a wall.

"Get up!" the woman snarled, a command only slightly muffled by the mask she wore. He looked at her with wide scared eyes. He did as she said, "Take the gun out of your holster and set it on the ground." She did not even watch the gun drop. She whistled and Quona, Yalsa and Gerard quickly came down the stairs, covering the rooms, then they returned to the main room. They growled something toward the woman, and she responded in kind. He gaped at her, it was the same sort of noises he heard from the creature they had captive.

He looked back at the man who had come with them he was familiar. "Gerard, you stinking son of a bitch! You sold us out!" he screamed, before he was silenced by Courtney's sasa at his throat.

"We'll do the talking around here."

Gerard looked at Taylor sideways, "You haven't been dodging an Organizations bullet for the last thirteen years, Taylor. Having a death mark will make you do just about anything. I swore I'd get you fuckers back, and I never renege on a promise."

Courtney nodded solemnly, then turned mean, "Now deactivate the cage."

"Fuck you bi..." he stopped short as she pressed the sasa deeper against his jugular.

"Let me tell you something, asshole. I have no qualms about snuffing your miserable life. Deactivate the bars!"

She held the sasa at the back of his skull, her palm on the butt of the handle, as he made his way carefully across to the junction. Silence replaced the humming. "Now give me the keys to both the cage and the shackles."

When he did, she pushed him into the grip of one of the aliens. The creature forcibly twisted his head in different directions studying his head intently. It finally let his face go with a snap, and Taylor's muscles started aching. The creature sniggered something to his companions, and there was an all to human laugh that filled the air.

The woman quickly unlocked the door and moved to the side of the alien. She put her fingers to a point on the small of his back, shook her head and then turned him over. Taylor was astonished at her strength. She looked into his glazed eyes, then placed a finger on the inside of his mouth. She motioned a grisly creature over, who carried a cylinder of something, the woman put it over the aliens mouth. 

Everything the woman did she accomplished with practiced ease, Taylor thought.

"Gui?" she said, shakily, anxious now that she had finally found him. The creatures' eyelids flickered, then slowly opened.

"Courtney?" he said, the sound muffled from beneath the mask, "You found me.", It was barely audible, but enough to assure her slightly. Her heart was in her throat.

Taylor was really confused now, the creature spoke English to her. Gui'Yata rolled his head over to look at the guard, "Here Puppy" he said a little more strongly, "Hows the nose, Asshole?", Taylors eyes flew wide open, and he would have screamed had he not been so paralyzed.

Courtney helped him to sit up, and then unlocked the shackles, rubbing the scars on his wrists. He wanted to stand, and was helped to his feet. He stepped unsteadily over to the retreating guard. There was not anywhere to go the alien behind him held him firmly in place.

"There are no chains now Taylor, want to try some more batting practice?" He made a mock swing like he was holding a bat, on the backswing, with an angered roar, he lay the guards throat open with his nails. Courtney smiled wickedly as blood squirted from his throat. Taylor shuddered as he fell to his knees. Gui'Yata was not far behind him, the exertion taking what little strength he had from him.

"Take it easy Gui'" Courtney said, "We're here. Please no more exertion." His now bony hands clutched her arm, for support, Nobaya came to her aid in getting him back to his feet. "Help him up the stairs", she turned to the other two aliens, "These two are yours," she said nodding to the two scientists, "Gerard, let's get out of here, you don't want to see what's coming."

Sora decloaked, and shushed the group as they came up the steps onto the ground floor, "We have got company, Raha. Looks like they did have some kind of warning system."

"Shit!" she said, "Get everyone upstairs, we might be able to defend ourselves from up there."

Two of the Taysa Taru helped Gui'Yata up the stairs, Nobaya took the lead and Courtney covered the rear. They moved into the largest room, on the corner of the house, easily defendable, with only one entrance. Each of them took a position that allowed them maximum potential for retaliation.

Outside the troops had gathered, surrounding the house. Santos waited to see what would happen.

"Pheromone scanners put them on the second floor, with exception of the six unidentified signals, which are positioned at one side of the house. Those upstairs are positioned for defense. I get no response from the crew that had been on shift, do you want them listed as casualties?"

"Yes. Get those helo's in here now, I want sniper fire at the second floor, keep those bastards pinned down. Get two companies of men on each exit, do not penetrate the perimeter till you are told. Keep clear of the unidentified creatures, but keep them surrounded, I don't want them getting free."

About the time they had gotten into position, the first wave of soldiers attacked. They swarmed up the stairs in an attempt to reach the holed group. Courtney felt almost sorry for them as they fell to the superior technology. No, they did not deserve it, this was the extremity of the cruelty men were capable of, the head of the vanity of mans "Superiority" to other creatures.

Some of the smarter of the soldiers had taken refuge at the base of the stairwell, waiting. It fell silent for a time, that is when the thup, thup, thup, of the helicopter could be heard. Courtney crawled to one of the windows and peered over the sill. Cobra gun ships loomed over the mountains loaded to the hilt with missiles, she counted four of them.

"Sora," she said, "I have four targets approaching at high velocity." He nodded, breaking out the window nearest him, he watched closely as the helos moved into a hover near their position, Courtney targeted another through the window she had broken. Sora stood raspa at full extension and lobbed it at the cockpit, but the crew of the aircraft was ready for the move. The ringing of bullets could be heard. Sora growled as he was hit by about six of the shots, he fell heavily on the ground. That did not however save the pilot, Sora's aim was true and after shattering the side windscreen, it neatly severed the head of the co-pilot and pilot. The helo spun wildly to the ground, scattering some of the ATP troops. It rolled end over end coming to rest against a small dune, before exploding.

Courtney gritted her teeth in anger as she fired her plasma cannon at the next aircraft, smiling wickedly as it blew up making a small nova over the desert. Two other ships pulled up to avoid the flying debris.

The attack on their position continued as the attack from below resumed, their position was harder to defend now that the parties attention was divided. Courtney heard the crack of Gerards rifle and the repeated fire of plasma, as she crawled to Soras side.

"Are you alright?"

"Nothing vital was hit, Raha, I will be alright. Did the plane go down?"

"Your mark is true as always, Sora," She smiled as she quickly applied totant to the wounds. Sora kept a watch out the window. That was the first time he had lied to her, he felt the pain radiating out, and overlapping from the slugs in his lung. It would not be long before he would drown in his own blood. Were they near the ships facilities he might be saved, but they were not. Courtney had not noticed, or taken the time to check him more thoroughly, in her attention to their fight. He prayed that she would not, it was time for his mockery of life to end. And he would end it fighting for the life of his friends.

Courtney stood without thinking to check on the failing Gui'Yata, hearing the shot at the same time she felt the slug tear into her leg. She landed on her stomach grimacing at the intense pain. She rolled into a sitting position, sliding against the wall near the window. 

"Son of a bitch!" She gasped putting pressure on her bleeding leg. She was mad more at her stupidity than the actual event. Hearing the chopper outside she angrily targeted it, the first shot was way off. She took some time to calm herself than tried it again, grinning maliciously as an orange blossom of fire appeared, the final product of helo plus plasma.

"Call in the yimhi, Sora. I want two on those helicopters, two downstairs and the others up here for evacuation." She quickly clicked in Sou.

Sora nodded trying to hide his pain, quickly tapping codes into his computer, each specific for the mount.

The yimhi entered the lower level amidst the screams of frightened soldiers. They had easily broken away from their 'guards', and they moved through the melee, slashing with their beaks and horns. Kicking and stomping they made their way toward the stairs, tearing through fragile soldiers and their weapons. Blood would stain the walls for years.

The house shook as two more took to the roof. Courtney dragged herself up to look out the window, as a shadow darkened the sky. The yimhi had leapt from the roof to the rail of the helicopter, somehow missing the rotor blades. It frightened the pilot and dangerously destabilized the choppers flight. The bird reached into the open sliding door and pulled the sniper from the craft. The bird quickly lost interest in the dead man and turned to snapping at the protective glass behind which were two fresh meals. Frustrated it raised its head bellowing, tangling its horns in the composite blades. Pieces flew everywhere as the craft spun wildly to the ground. The crunch of the metal was deafening, and the impact had killed the crew and the yimhi.

"Yalsa, have the Yimhi made it up the stairs yet!?" Courtney screamed over the din.

"Not yet," he boomed, "The soldiers are offering resistance."

"Great," she muttered, "what a time for them to grow balls!"

Gui'Yata would have appreciated the humor in that statement, she looked worriedly over at him, wishing he was conscious.

The Yimhi remaining on the roof crouched low, braying and screaming at the noisy chopper, just out of its jumping distance. But that also put the helo out of sniping range.

"Sir this is Squelch unit four. We are pinned down by one of the unidentified creatures. Please advise repeat can not approach target. Request permission to arm missiles."

"Are you crazy?!" Came back, then the controller composed himself, "UH, negative Squelch unit four, keep your distance, repeat, keep your distance. They want these guy, but not bad enough to take out our whole unit. Hold your position, will advise."

"Great!", the pilot said frustrated.

Courtney grimaced in pain as she tried for a more comfortable position. "Where are those damn birds?" she growled, looking at her bondsman, his breathing was becoming irregular. Gui'Yata was fading fast, they needed to get out of here and get him medical attention. Even the emergency breather was not bringing him around.

"Damn it Gui', you hold on, you hear me!" She screamed at him over the din, "We have to get free of here!" she said looking around desperately for an escape route, to go out now would put them right in the line of fire of the troop firing up at the window from below. About that time the two scarred and bleeding yimhi topped the stairs and ducked into the room. They trilled quietly at Sora who struggled up to pat them on the head. He moved over beside the still form of Gui'Yata, and lifted him onto the larger of the mounts backs.

"Get Sai and the rest to the ship." Sora said grabbing her arm. "Head out the window, go on, get away."

"What are you going to do, Sora?" she said with more than a little confusion.

"I am staying to cover your escape." he said in monotone.

He looked her straight in the eyes, and she felt herself go cold, she had seen that look before. He was on the edge of an episode. "You can not, Sora, no..." she tried to convince him.

He ignored her flipping his computer open, and programming to detonator for twelve minutes, "Sora, there has got to be another way!"

"Get out!" he screamed at her, and she just noticed the blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he turned and leapt with a glass shattering scream down the stairs, in the middle of the soldiers.

"Nooo!" she screamed trying to follow after him, Yaha grabbed her around the waist, signalling the rest out, "SORA!!!" Courtney screamed, as she was moved out of the building, tears streaming down her cheeks. They moved out onto the balcony, some on yimhi the others on foot. The yimhi providing an effective shield against the rifle fire. Several well-placed plasma blasts scattered them momentarily.

Yaha turned her around, shaking her, "Raha let him go! He was dying already! Let his death come honorably! Do you not see, you have saved him, he is sacrificing himself to save us. We must go before the explosion!"

Quarta had picked up on the parties distress and met them a mile from the building. Hastily it set down, just long enough for the party to clamber on board. To all around, the roar of the engines sounded like thunder amplified. Before the ramp had sealed Gui'Yata had been rushed to the soyara, under the expert care of Quartas' infirmary.

Courtney had refused to be treated, instead she had isolated herself from them staring out the view port of the aft war-room, in shocked silence. Unconsciously digging her nails into the seal around the port, waiting for the flare that would mark the devastation that would consume Sora.

Sora, thoroughly bloody, paused as he heard the thunder of the Quartas' engines pass over the house, giving a message to be passed on. His madness burned away, it seemed at the same rate at which the roar died. He looked over the devastation, the pile of bodies, and he finally felt whole, for the first time in his life. He wheezed as fluid filled his lungs, his arms went slack at his sides, and he turned his eyes skyward. He did not feel the final searing heat as the detonator went off, and the building was consumed.

Courtney watched from the ship already several miles up, as the explosion consumed the building and several square miles of land, she wiped the tears again. She was sad that Sora was gone, but she had to smile, Quarta had given her Soras' message.

"Thank you, for your time, patience, and faith, I know now that it was too little too late, through no fault of your own. Your help gave me hope, let me live a small part of my life with my people. You told me that the Soua were better to you than humans. I can honestly say that humans have been better to me than my own kind, at least one of them has. Again I thank you for not giving up on me. Good hunting, Lightning, you are Soua now. Sora."


	15. Epilogue: Worth the Risk?

Epilogue: Worth the Price

Epilogue: Worth the Price?

Courtney stood staring out the port long after the fire had died away and Earth was but another star in the night. No one would disturb her, understanding her need to be alone. They did not understand mourning, or why it was so important to her. They just accepted it as a personality trait from the only human any of them had known personally.

It was close to midnight Earth time, when Quartas' treatment had made Gui'Yata well enough to move about. He had been surprised, oddly enough, to be alive, he had not tried to delude himself about his condition during captivity. He sat up slowly, swinging his legs out over the floor. He looked at his desiccated body, amazed at how little time it took to become this shadow of himself, he had only been there for one Earth week.

"Where is Courtney?" he asked quietly of the walls.

"Aft war-room, Gui'," it said in what was as close to a mournful tone as it would get, "I think she needs some company. Sora sacrificed his own life to save you and the group, she is very upset."

He nodded solemnly. Standing unsteadily, he traced his way to where she was. The doors slid silently away, and he paused a moment. She stood against the left-hand pillar, staring out at the passing stars. No, she was not seeing it, her thoughts were turned inward. She was crying he could tell, no one else knew how to handle her when she was like this.

He silently approached her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to face him, her face was puffy, hot and wet with tears. Without any forewarning, her face decayed into the ugly mask of anguish and she wrapped her arms around her unsteady companion.

"He's dead Gui', I can't believe Sora's dead!" she cried in a pained voice, "I tried so hard to help him! I thought he was so much better!"

"I know," he replied quietly, stroking her soft hair, "I thought he was too. He was a good huntsman, and became a good friend."

"He was like a brother to me..." she said softer, rubbing her forehead against the muscles of his stomach. He had been the closest friend she had, had next to her relationship with Gui'. 

She was unaware of the lack of flesh on his once husky body. Nor did she notice the places where his bones poked into her painfully. She needed his presence, his support and nothing more.

Gui'Yata was fighting his own emotions about Sora's loss. He never wished to admit it, but he and the scarred warrior had become almost inseparable. He knew Courtney had noticed, and approved with a sort of 'I knew it would work out' air about her. He had found more in common with Sora, than most of the Soua he had been calling his friends. Courtney had said once that sometimes even the worst of enemies could become the best of friends, which seemed to presage the two warrior's fraternity. Their alliance came as a shock to the both of them it seemed, for Sora was just as awed that they had not killed each other.

Gui'Yata cooed at Courtney, continuing to stroke her long hair. It helped to calm her on the rare occasions when she did cry. It had puzzled him the first time he had seen her in tears, he had thought her sick again. He was always paranoid about illness in her, since their arduous trek through the jungle. He had almost lost her on that trip, when she developed an allergic reaction to his own blood. 

She was so frustrated at his inquiries about her health that first time, she only cried harder. Telling him for the first time to leave her alone. After a few hours she was back to her normal self. She had a hard time convincing him that there had been no illness involved. Her explanation perplexed him almost as much as the actual act. Crying was something peculiar to the human race, he had seen it nowhere else in his hunts.

He understood perfectly now, she had cried a lot in those first few years at Onona, for her adjustment had been a long hard road. It was usually only a sign of extreme stress, and she used it a relief valve, a way to release mental pain. She had said that if she did not cry every so often, her only other release could be, aimless, undirected violence. So he coped with it, trying to cheer her when her mood was grim.

They were two halves of one puzzle, they knew each other intimately after all of their rotations together. They were still marked as bondsmen, legally in the eyes of everyone outside of Taysa. In the city it was nothing more than an outdated form, unacceptable in a small struggling town that was not and did not want to be supported. The two of them had been free to just walk away from each other, and never lay eyes on one another again. They chose to stay together, and had lived in the same dwelling for the years since the move. Too attached to each other to bear to be apart. They knew what pleased the other, supplemented each others hunting styles, and could predict each others moods, knowing exactly how to handle it.

After the tears had dried and the sobs had ceased to echo in the room, Courtney still clung to the tall creature, calming herself in the security of his arms. She concentrated on his heartbeat, so strangely different compared to her own. This reminded her of when she was young, before her troubles started. When she used to lay on her mothers stomach, taking comfort from her. Tears stared to well again at the memory of her mother and she quickly wiped them away, pushing away from her most cherished friend.

She sniffed and smiled in embarrassment, he reached to her face to wipe the last tear of her soft, scarred cheek.

Her brows furrowed as she really took a look at him, "God's are you skinny!" she exclaimed, her mood suddenly brightening, "I can't let you go anywhere by yourself, now can I! I swear your just like a kid!", She finished mocking incredulity, and anger.

"Not my fault, ma', I swear!" He said mimicking a southern drawl. He had said it straight but the look on his face and the drawl made the joke pointed, and her smile broke through.

"I'm glad your back Gui', I missed you." she said honestly, smiling warmly up at him.

"I am glad to be back, I like you too much, human, to leave this world without you. You are my favorite pet." he said humorously, trying to cheer her mood, it was a personal joke they shared. She hit him playfully.

"You crab-faced son of a bitch!" she retorted, and they both laughed.

THE END

Sorry to dump three chapters on you guys at once, but I am going to be away from my computer for a while and I would not be able to get these up for weeks. I hope you understand! Please review this and let me know what you think! It has been great knowing that even though the concept of this story is over thirteen years old (And been sitting idle for three) that it is still so well accepted by you guys! Thanks for all the support throughout this story!

Darwin


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